Violate: to break
by Karena Sasuke
Summary: Caught in an awful genjutsu that she can’t seem to break, Sakura finds relief only in the person experiencing it with her. How could such a simple mission go so wrong? How could something so wrong lead to something so right? KakaSaku
1. Prologue

**_Violate._**

Naruto

Summary:

Caught in an awful genjutsu that she can't seem to break, Sakura finds relief only in the person experiencing it with her. How could such a simple mission go so wrong? KakaSaku. M for strong/dark themes, slightly macabre situations, language, and adult situations.

**Author's Note:**

Hi everyone. I know it's been a really long time since I've been on here, but I've decided to start this fic over. I'm going to be editing and adding in extra plot items. AND then hopefully completing this story after starting it much- much too long ago.

* * *

Prologue…

**C**hains rattled against the freezing cold concrete of their stone prison. Bodies thrashed over and over, futilely pulling against their restraints. Kakashi strained against the metal cuffs around his wrists, causing his skin to flush and tear under the bite of the shackles. He'd eventually have to face it: they were stuck.

Turning his head, Kakashi looked to his only companion and cellmate whose pink head was buried into her bent knees as she attempted to fight back tears.

"Kakashi," she rasped out, suddenly looking up from her knees, "how long do you think we've been in here?"

His eyes, both of them, scanned her frail form. She was desperate, her whole body suffering from a disorientation of time. Her bloody hands told her it had been months while her mind swore it had only been a few days. As a whole, these days would top the list as her worst ever.

Kakashi's answer came a little late as he fought with being honest or comforting. "Too long." was his calm way of saying that he had no goddamn idea. The time confusion had easily caught him too.

Their eyes locked in understanding- in acceptance of the fact that they may never find out and may never get out at all.

The faint and repetitive thud of incoming footsteps distracted Kakashi. Tearing his gaze away from her, he whispered, "They're coming."

And, sure enough, Sakura heard the footsteps. Out of the whole time she had been in that dreadful room, there were many things she had come to dread. The heavy footfall of their captors had by far become the thing she dreaded most of all.

She and Kakashi both knew what was coming next. Their enemy was going to send them back in and the two ninja took the final seconds to prepare themselves.

Their subjugators were coming back to send Sakura and Kakashi back into a very frightening world- an evil world. The genjutsu was the torture that their enemy hoped would break them, making them spill their guts, their identities, their homes, everything they had. So far, it had failed.

The heavy metal door crashed open with a bang, rattling the walls and in walked two pale men whose faces Sakura had sadly memorized.

"Anyone feel like talking today?" one of the men all but yelled into the stuffy room. He was a tall skeletal man with dark hair and even darker eyes that made his pale skin seem even more drastic against the insipid lighting of the room. Over the time spent in her stone jail, Sakura had learned his name to be Lan. He was clearly the leader.

The other man was a little more masculine, his body covered in lean muscle. His hair was lighter than his partners' and bright blue-gray eyes stood out against his un-tanned face.

Kakashi growled as both men rounded on his small, female teammate. It was their usual routine: going for who they thought to be the weaker of the two. They did this all because she was a woman who seemed so very fragile.

"How about it, pinky? Feel like taking the smart way out?" the man, who Sakura had failed to identify yet, questioned as his fingers toyed with her hair. She fought nausea as his touch curled in and out of her roseate locks. Her body all but strained to avoid his repulsing touch.

Kakashi could see her anger simmer behind the stoic façade Sakura had put up. The rage in her eyes only grew when Lan bent down, whispering into her face, "Come on, baby. You don't need this; you disserve better." Kakashi cringed at the innuendo in the evil man's voice.

That was a big mistake. In fact, it was a giant mistake.

The pink haired medic-nin smiled, slightly tilting her face towards Lans' above her. She narrowed her eyes and, leaning a little closer, spat in his face. "Go to hell." She growled defiantly.

_That's my girl._ Kakashi thought as his heart warmed for his partner. _Always a spitfire. _If it weren't for the circumstances, he'd have smiled in pride. Then, the loud sound of skin on skin changed his mood as Lan's hand whipped across Sakura's face.

She was silent, not showing even an ounce of emotion. It almost appeared as though nothing had happened.

She was silent- the complete opposite of Kakashi. His hands pulled against the rusty metal as he screamed with murderous intent, "I'll kill you! Know that."

Grassy green eyes met dark brown while blue met Kakashi's mismatched set. Then they were submerged headfirst into a nightmare.

The genjutsu had seemed so simple at first- almost gentle, almost innocent. It appeared to be an uncomplicated mind block and an alternate reality. Sakura and Kakashi thought they could handle it, but they were proven wrong; desperately wrong.

The trap would put them in a safe environment, a soother if you will. It all felt so normal, lulling them into a false sense of security. Then it would change suddenly, knocking them off their pedestal and causing their bodies to revolt. Skin would become hypersensitive and the caught would only find relief in each other's bodies.

It was never gentle- only rough and violent. They would hurt each other in ways so dark that it tore their minds to ugly, bloody pieces. They violated one another all at the hands and minds of others. It was enough to drive even the strongest of shinobi completely and utterly insane.

The captors would then proceed to bring them back to reality. The two leaf-nin knew it was a ploy to break them- an attempt at turning them against each other.

And then… the torture would begin, the interrogation would begin.

During this, the time in which they needed each other most, Kakashi became all she had and Sakura became all he had. They fought it tooth and nail. Together.

Then, after failing, they'd put them back.

**End Prologue…**


	2. Chapter 1

**_Violate: to break_**

**_Chapter One: _**

**_Concede_**

**S**akura's chakra clung to the bark, holding her upside down in the tree. She kept her position even and symmetrical. Her control was perfect. It stretched the entire span of her body, straight from her fingertips to her toes. Her eyes were closed and she remained perfectly focused.

Kakashi watched her from another tree. She was so comfortable in her environment and it would have been so easy to surprise her at that moment- what, with her focus elsewhere. He thought seriously about sneaking up on her and using that to tease her, but, instead, Kakashi opted to watch his partner train.

His eyes scanned over her and Kakashi couldn't help but recall her twelve-year-old form. The differences between them (the Sakura then and the Sakura now) were just so vast. Over the past eight years, Sakura had changed immensely. She'd matured, that much was for sure. Both mentally and physically.

Under the tutelage of one of the legendary sannin, Sakura had prospered and her ninja skills had grown enough to rival many ninja- grown enough to rival his own. Kakashi knew that, on her good days, Sakura could easily kick his ass and he was okay with it.

And there was more.

Not only was she one of the strongest and most intelligent kunoichi in Konoha, she was also one of the most visually stunning women he had ever seen. She was a beautiful, grown up woman and Kakashi wouldn't be the first or the last to admit it.

The once short woman had grown to be a little less than six foot, giving her a slim and lithe frame. That same frame, through hours of thorough training, had been covered in attractive muscle. Sure, she was built, but not to the point where it was off putting. Muscle or not, the pink haired woman was gorgeous.

As time passed, Sakura had also let her hair grow out to a more age appropriate length. In respite of her profession, Sakura's rosy locks now reached her lower back.

Said pink hair hung in a loose braid that, while she hung upside down, was falling out of its tie. It was actually kind of amusing. At least, Kakashi thought it was.

Amusement- that was only one of the many reasons Kakashi had chosen her to be his partner, his one and only teammate. Stealth, power, intelligence, and loyalty were among the others.

In his eyes, Sakura was his last opportunity after he'd 'failed' all his other teams. With his first team dead and second a bleeding mess, Kakashi felt their two-man squad was the only thing that stood a chance. Two people could depend on each other- could lean and bend for one another. They could easily compromise and there was never a leader. They were just a team.

Kakashi's thoughts were disturbed when two fingers tapped against his shoulder blade. _Damn. _He thought when he noticed that Sakura was no longer hanging from the tree. He'd never hear the end of this now.

"Hi Sakura." He smiled behind his mask, not bothering to turn around on the thin branch. He knew, anyway, that if he did he would become almost dangerously close to Sakura. Being that close, face-to-face, made reading emotions much too easy. Nope, that just wouldn't do. He could not allow her to read him the way she read everyone else. He had pride for god sakes.

"So, Kakashi, do you want to tell me why you were spying on me?" he could hear her holding back laughter.

Speaking nonchalantly, he made up excuses as he went, "Well, you see, I wasn't really spying on you. I was actually watching the squirrels. You just happened to be in the same tree."

Kakashi heard her sigh and felt it against the material of his thin black shirt. She must have been getting used to his excuses considering the number of years that she had endured them. Either that or Sakura just honestly didn't care. By now, she was probably past the point of caring.

"You know, you really should stop making up excuses all the time, especially when you know you've been caught." She said in faux disappointment and then her body heat was gone.

A soft thud sounded out as she landed on the green grass of training field number seven. Another soft thud and he joined her, plopping down next to the tree they had just jumped out of.

Kakashi smiled as he recalled how this very training field was the very spot where he had first met Sakura over ten years ago. His normally ice-cold heart warmed a little as he recalled the old days- the days when Sakura had been so young and innocent. He remembered the days when her hands were clean, before she had to dirty them through mission after mission- through fight after fight where she lost her friends and many of the people she looked up to.

Till this day, Kakashi could not understand how she'd remained so strong. Since the day they'd dug up Sasuke's dead body, Kakashi had not seen the pink-haired woman cry once. Not even when her parents had passed on and when she spoke at their funeral, not one tear. Kakashi would never understand what had changed her from her emotional wreck of a self that she used to be.

"You awake over there?" Sakura said, breaking him out of his train of thought all over again. She smiled when he looked up and shook her head gently. "You've been acting so strangely lately." She said, as she started to stretch out her limbs after the hard work out.

Kakashi chuckled, but chose to ignore her comment. He knew he'd been acting strangely over the last few weeks and he knew why. It was frustration- frustration at a certain pink-haired kunoichi. He could have pointed this out, but chose not to. Instead, he pulled out his best friend… well, best book friend.

Kakashi smirked as he saw his companion roll her eyes at said book and then sigh, "What brings you here anyway?"

"We have a meeting with the Hokage in an hour." He answered nonchalantly, flipping the pages of his book. Kakashi cringed slightly when he heard the gentle growl which usually meant that he was in trouble.

He could tell Sakura was instantly peeved and her next question did nothing to conceal or hide it, "Oh, and when were you planning on telling me this?" She turned on him, her eyes narrowed. "If I would have known we had a mission assignment, I wouldn't have trained as hard!"

"I was waiting for you to ask." Kakashi said tonelessly, trying to ignore her anger and just pretend it didn't exist, because if he convinced himself that she wasn't angry, maybe she'd convince herself too. Interesting logic, but it just might work. Just maybe.

Or not.

His hand flew up instantly, catching Sakura's wrist in a vice like grip and successfully halting the punch aimed at his face. "Now, now Sakura. If you wanted to spar, all you had to do was ask." His ankle hooked over one of hers and with a sweep of his foot, Sakura landed on her fabulous ass right in front of him. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed. He definitely had. Many, many times. After all… He was a man when it all came down to it. He couldn't just turn that on and off.

Once Sakura hit the ground, Kakashi received a hard punch to the shoulder and a swat to the head. "You are impossible." She said, not bothering to get up from her new-seated position.

Now that he was closer, Kakashi could see the sweat glistening off of her tanned stomach and arms. She had obviously been training for longer than he'd thought and Kakashi could tell that a sparring match was the last thing she had in mind. He sure wouldn't have minded though. He really had been sitting around too much lately.

"So what's the meeting about?" she asked, finally calming down and again breaking through his thoughts.

"Some mission, I'm sure."

"Good. I need one. Funds are low and rent is due."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi watched her pick at the grass, the hem of her shorts, and then the grass again. He fought the sigh that was threatening to escape his lips.

He really didn't understand why she kept refusing him. She really must have had a damn good reason. It was completely infuriating.

* * *

_Flashback…_

_3 years ago…_

It was a normal day in Konoha- an average day. No one was really up to much, everyone just sort of dragging up and down the streets

Kakashi was one of those draggers, walking down the street at a snail's pace. However, he was walking toward something. He had things to do today- things that Kakashi had considered for a long time and had finally come to a conclusion about.

Sakura Haruno. She was his concern for the day.

Over the past couple of months, Kakashi had grown a little restless- a little lonely. Those feelings were strange for him and he really didn't understand where they'd all come from. After all, he was used to being alone. In fact, he always felt he'd excelled at being alone.

Something had changed. Something had REALLY changed.

It had been seven years since he'd been in charge of Team Seven- since he'd spent day after day with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. It had been three years since he, Naruto, and Sakura had buried Sasuke and let Team Seven die with it.

Maybe, Kakashi was missing the old days.

Kakashi was finally starting to accept that he needed someone to be a part of his life. He needed a partner and Kakashi had figured out the perfect candidate.

After Sasukes death, Sakura had become a bit of a hermit, spending all her time on missions- on solo-missions. She had become the female version of him. This is what made Kakashi pick her.

They had their history, but both of them seemed to have gotten over it. If that were the case, maybe they could find it in themselves to cling to the only remainder of their history. Maybe, they could learn to lean on each other- learn to be a team again.

At least, he hoped that they could.

Continuing to amble along the road, Kakashi finally found his destination.

Sakura's apartment stood out like a sore thumb in Konoha. It was run down and exceptionally cheap-looking. Kakashi had forgotten how drab Sakura's apartment building was and it really made him wonder, how her funds could be too low to get a better apartment. He really didn't understand because she was constantly off on missions and, sometimes, even S-class missions. Her bills couldn't be that heavy, but maybe there was something he didn't know about.

After standing in front of her building for about five minutes, Kakashi finally decided that he'd stood around long enough and he knew that Sakura wasn't going to come to him. Hell, they hadn't talked in about six months, so, this whole situation may come as a bit to a shock to her.

Kakashi climbed the stairs to her apartment and when he reached her door, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door twice.

He didn't have to wait long to hear movement inside the apartment. He listened as light- ninja-light footsteps approached the door.

It was only a few seconds later when Sakura opened the door. Her eyes widened instantly when she saw him standing there in the door way. If there was anyone Sakura would expect to show up at her apartment, Kakashi was probably the last.

"Hi Sakura." Kakashi said in a friendly tone. She looked good and that made Kakashi feel great. It made him even more aware of how well she could take care herself- how much she didn't need anyone else. He almost felt bad for disturbing that. Her pattern had worked so well for so long and now he was there to mess with it.

"Kakashi, what brings you here?" She said smiling, still a little shocked that he was actually standing there.

Kakashi took another breath. _Well here it goes_… "Actually, I was wondering if you had some spare time to talk."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. He could tell she was a little weirded out, but nonetheless she invited him in. "Sure. Come on in."

He took a step forward into the apartment as she opened the door and stepped back out of the way. Once he'd entered the room, Sakura made for her beaten-down old kitchen table and sat down in one of the equally beaten-down chairs.

Sakura smiled sweetly as he sat down across from her. "What's up, Kakashi-sensei?", she asked curiously.

Instantly, Kakashi began to stammer, "I'm just going to cut to the chase, because I know you're shocked to see me. I mean we really haven't spoken in quite some time… but, I've come to realize a few things…"

Kakashi paused heavily, giving her a solid one-eyed stare and then continued, "I miss you." For the first time in a long, long time, Kakashi chuckled. He never thought he'd ever get those words out no matter how true they were. "I miss having a team and I'm tired of being alone all the time. So, I guess you could say I have a bit of a proposal for you."

Sakura's eyes were now the size of pie plates. Obviously, she didn't have a clue as to where he was going with this. However, the pink tinge to her cheeks told him she was flattered that he'd let his guard down long enough to say that he actually missed her.

"I'm here to ask you to be a team again. Would you consider being my partner? I'm tired of going on missions alone and you're the only person I can say I'd trust with my life."

Sakura smiled and looked up at him. He could tell she was running things through in her mind, trying to understand what he had just said. "What? Why me?", she asked, humble and completely unaware of just how amazing she was.

"Hmm… let's see. You're one of the best kunoichi this village has ever produced. You're a fantastic medic, with skills rivaling Tsunade. You could punch holes through a mountain. What else?... Oh, and you smell nice." Kakashi smirked at his final point.

Across the table, Sakura chuckled, "Well, I'm going to say I'm a bit shocked, but nevertheless I can't find a reason to say no. Why not?" Sakura answered with a smile on her face.

Kakashi couldn't tell how real that smile was anymore, but it was good enough for him. He could actually get used to her smile. He was instantly pleased.

"Great. I won't hold up anymore of your time and I'll inform the Hokage of this change, so you don't need to bother." He said quickly, not trying to drag anything out.

That was that and Kakashi stood up. "I guess I'll see you around." He said and then headed for the door.

"Kakashi…"

He stopped. "Yes?"

"I miss you too."

Kakashi couldn't help his grin and it was then that he realized that he'd made the right decision and knew that he wouldn't ever regret it.

_End Flashback…_

* * *

After an hour of doing virtually nothing, Sakura and Kakashi had finally begun to make their way toward Hokage Tower.

Sakura groaned to herself. Her limbs felt like bricks and the cramping near her ribcage was, by no means, comfortable. It wasn't exactly something she was proud of, but Sakura knew she'd made a mistake and had expended way too much chakra.

And it would be just her luck if the Hokage sent them on a mission that very night. She knew she would pay for her training, if that were the case.

Trying to distract her focus from her sore appendages, Sakura thought of mission briefings. They were always a nice experience and a sort of reunion in its self. With their busy schedules, visits were made nearly impossible.

Suddenly, a smile formed on her face as the Hokage Monument came into view. There, with the five prior Hokages who were all looking as stern as possible, was Naruto's grinning mug. It was enough to make her laugh.

Then her expression changed. She couldn't help but think about the way things had turned out.

As they neared their destination, Sakura as usual found herself thinking of the old days. She thought of the days as happy genin; she thought of Naruto and herself devoting their entire lives to Sasuke's return; she thought of the day Team Kakashi had found Sasuke's dead body buried in the ruin of an old Akatsuki hideout, his bloodline limit torn from his body. Most of all, she thought of all the tears she'd shed for those same old days. They were her reason for keeping her guard up.

* * *

Even with the distance, Kakashi could read her like a book; especially when she was like this: dazed, introverted, and ultimately walking blind. He knew what she was thinking about and the reason he knew was because she always got like this when they went to see Naruto.

Kakashi reacted instantly when he noticed that Sakura was about to walk into a retail cart. His hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the store box. Unintentionally, he had pulled her right into his chest.

Her head nestled right under his chin and the distinct scent of her strawberry shampoo filled his nose. He became mildly aware of his hands resting on her upper arms and the distinct urge he had to pull her even closer. This urge made him nervous, considering the way these urges had become very common. Quickly, he released her arms, backed away and resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

* * *

Sakura's eyes widened and she couldn't help but be stunned. Her nose was pressed against Kakashi's jounin vest and when she took a deep breath, her senses were flooded by Kakashi's scent. She could smell the gentle soap and earthy aroma that was purely Kakashi.

Drawing her nose away from his clothing, Sakura's hand flattened against his shoulder. She was about to push herself away, but before she could, he let her go and began walking again.

It was moments like these that made Sakura the way she was: distant.

Luckily, they'd arrived at the tower and, now, the awkwardness created by the physical contact could be avoided. In both their books, physical contact was a big fat no-no.

Kakashi's eye crinkled when Hinata greeted them timidly. He waved while Sakura went about hugging the small Hyuga.

"He's waiting for you inside." The dark haired woman whispered, still timid and gesturing to the door.

"Thanks Hinata." Sakura and Kakashi said in unison as they reestablished their poker faces and walked through the door.

"Sakura-chan!" A pair of arms were around her instantly, nearly knocking the wind out of her. "Sakura-chan, I've missed you." The blonde all but yelled into her ear.

Sakura cringed at his greeting and honorific. Some things would never change. "I've missed you too, Naruto." She said, smiling all the same.

* * *

Kakashi watched from the wall as the two long-time friends reacquainted and then chuckled when Naruto's cerulean eyes ran over Sakura's body. It was the kind of stare that lasted too long in all the wrong places.

When Naruto finally glanced back up, his eyebrows waggled and he took a step closer toward the pink haired kunouichi. "You know, Sakura, you get prettier every time I see you." A cheesy grin and another perverted stare earned Naruto a smack to the head.

"Naruto, quit being gross and control yourself!"

"But! I can see your bellybutton!"

"I don't care!" Sakura's hands went to cover her bare stomach and Kakashi chuckled again.

That was a mistake.

Sakura turned on him, growling out, "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing!" His hands rose in mock surrender.

Sakura exhaled, "Okay, enough amusement at my expense." She crossed the room and plopped down sourly into one of the many chairs in the room. She still covered her naval, even sitting Kakashi could tell she was still peeved.

Kakashi waved modestly at Naruto, "Yo." Then they joined her, all business.

Kakashi glanced at his partner and started laughing all over again when he noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks. However, the comedy stopped when a death glare was thrown his way. Meep.

Lucky for him, Naruto chose that moment to speak, "So here's the situation. You two will be going on a two-month mission in Grass country. It is an A-ranked mission simply because you are going into enemy territory. Aside from that, it's no more than an investigation."

One scroll was slid across the table and Kakashi reached forward to pick it up.

"The biggest priority is to maintain your anonymity. If you become compromised, this cannot come back to Konoha." Blue eyes fixed on them, stressing his point.

Sakura caught something. "So there will be no in-between? How will we get in contact with you?"

"It's all in the scroll."

"Okay, when do we need to leave?" Kakashi asked, holding the scroll in one hand.

Off to his right, Sakura crossed her fingers.

"Three days."

* * *

**Mission**

**#2134**

**A-Rank**

_Recipients_

_Kakashi Hatake_

_And_

_Sakura Haruno_

_Subject_

_Lan Hutara and the Hutara crime organization._

_Main Objective_

_Recon. _

_Gain any information on the subject._

_Secondary Objective_

_Maintain anonymity, stealth, and accuracy._

_Third Objective_

_Update insider as you see fit._

_Insider_

_Kayo Mei, innkeeper._

_Residence_

_Mei Inn._

* * *

Sakura read it over again. _Seems simple enough._

Kakashi sat across from her, scanning her face for response to the scroll. Her eyebrows were knitted together in focus and Sakura was absentmindedly chewing on her pen.

"Kakashi, you're doing it again." She said, suddenly looking up from the scroll in her hand.

His eyes tore away from her mouth. "You seem tense," he stated, trying to defend himself, "care to tell me why?"

She stared at him for a minute and then sighed, "It seems too simple."

"I see."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, while they both thought about the oncoming mission.

Kakashi was focused, still thinking about their mission- about their game plan, when he heard Sakura's steady breathing. He looked up and was immediately struck with the amusing scene of a sleeping kunoichi. Her torso was flat against his table and her arms were spread above her head. Her pink hair was splayed messily all over the wood and Kakashi couldn't help but notice the contrast. It was a contrast he could get used to.

The gray haired man took the moment to look at her- really look at her. Her hair was everywhere and Kakashi smiled when he noticed a strand sticking to her slightly parted lips. Carefully, he pushed it out of the way. She didn't wake.

He didn't really understand how, even while unconscious, she could still be so attractive. The way her arms and taut bare stomach flexed with every breath- the way her breasts pressed against the wooden surface. It was all just incredibly sexy. He had to fight the desire to touch her again.

_God._ He stood up from the table, desperate to find some form of distraction. Straightening up would do.

He took his time cleaning off the table, careful not to disturb his sleeping partner. Really, a little extra sleep couldn't hurt her.

Once the table was up to his standard of 'clean', which wasn't much of a standard at all, Kakashi returned to her side. Gently, he touched her shoulder, trying to wake her. "Sakura, wake up."

She was up in an instant, nearly head butting Kakashi in the process. "I fell asleep." She stated drowsily.

"Yupp."

"I need to get home." She was slowly waking up- coming to her senses.

"What do you need get home to, Sakura?"

She, of course, had no response. It was just like every other time he did this. "Kakashi, please." She very nearly begged.

The gray-haired man sighed, exasperated, "You know it makes sense. We'd be gone at the same times. There would be more room here and you'd be free to fall asleep here anytime you want." He pinned her with his eyes and then spoke again, "Can't you even consider it?"

Kakashi closed the distance between himself and his partner. She stood at the edge of the table and Kakashi stared, practically pinning her there, daring her to move. Putting one hand on each side of her, Kakashi whispered, "Why can't you just see how simple this would make things? Think rationally."

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and attempted to make her leave, pushing against him. "You know my answer, Kakashi.", she whispered in response.

"Doesn't mean I accept it."

* * *

Sakura woke up the next morning with a mind-splitting headache. It was the kind of headache that was caused by sleeping on a hard wooden table and arguing with an insufferable man over something equally insufferable. Kakashi just wouldn't stop, no matter what she said.

She understood where he was coming from, she really did, but why couldn't he just take no for an answer? Why did he have to keep on insisting?

He couldn't honestly be that concerned over her living situation, because there was really nothing so horribly wrong with her apartment. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, and she had a bed to sleep in. That was all that really mattered to her anyway. What did Kakashi find so wrong with where she lived? And why did it matter so much?

There had to be some other reason, beside the fact that 'it just makes sense'.

Sakura brainstormed, trying to think of any reason there could be for Kakashi's sudden insistence.

Her gut feeling was that Kakashi was clinging to her, because she was all he had left. Naruto had moved on, Sasuke had died, and she had stayed. Her gut feeling, much to her chagrin, made her feel like a conceited moron.

"God!" Sakura gripped her pounding head. She knew she was just over thinking this whole thing. Surely, Kakashi just wanted some company. It couldn't be anything more than that.

Stuffing her face into a pillow, Sakura thought of all the reasons why she thought she shouldn't move in with her ex-sensei. Three things stood out in her mind.

She was so desperately afraid that, if she moved in, it would ruin the team dynamic that had been incredibly successful up until this point and would hopefully continue to be. Sakura didn't know if she could live with that. Kakashi and her partnership was the base of her life; she depended on it. Was she so wrong to not want to give that up?

Also, she felt moving in with him would create some intense awkwardness. It would create the kind of awkwardness that only resulted from walking in on each other naked, accidental brushes in the hallway, sharing a bathroom, or any other embarrassing situations. He was a man and she was a woman. Naturally, they did things differently. Did Kakashi honestly think that they could do laundry together or eat dinner for that matter?

Third and probably the one most weighing on her mind, Sakura was frightened of all the sidelong glances and the over drawn stares. Why had he been spying on her and watching her so much lately? She felt like one of his books- something for his amusement. She didn't understand the purpose behind his gaze; she didn't understand him at all and it was his fault. Kakashi had made himself impossible to read with that damned mask and Sakura was no exception. The hard part was that, Sakura wasn't even sure if she wanted to be an exception.

Sakura groaned, rubbing her eyes in agitation and her mind traveled back to the night before, where she had stormed out of Kakashi's apartment. He had been so insistent- so unyielding. He really wanted her with him. What was so bad about that? If she just got over her issues and moved in, it would make him happy.

Sakura was regretting her reaction. She was, just because she wanted him to be happy.

_I've had enough now. _Sakura thought and, with her head still pounding, she drug herself out of bed and onto her feet. As if she had gotten up to fast or something, Sakura's head rushed. Vertigo struck her upside the head like a sack of bricks.

Blackness clouded her senses the second she lost balance and her head hit the nightstand. She was out like a light.

_Is god trying to get back at me or did he just get drunk today? Like the headache wasn't bad enough._

* * *

They were supposed to have met for breakfast (her eating, him watching) to discuss the mission and plan out their identities, but Sakura hadn't showed up. At first, Kakashi was afraid that she was still mad at him over the whole incident the night before. After rethinking it, Kakashi knew that Sakura would never do that. He knew that Sakura would never risk a mission over a personal problem. If there was one thing Sakura did well it was being a ninja.

Immediately after the thought struck him, Kakashi left, heading straight for Sakura's apartment. He moved quickly, almost to the point where no one could even see him. He was worried.

If Sakura missed a mission gathering, something surely had to be wrong.

When he arrived at her door, Kakashi knocked twice and waited for a response. He hoped that, maybe, she'd only overslept and nothing was wrong. As soon as the fact that no one was coming became clear, Kakashi dealt with the lock deftly and entered Sakura's tiny apartment. He had to duck through every door way as he searched for his pink haired partner.

She wasn't anywhere and when he looked into her bedroom, he didn't see her in her bed. However, as soon as he entered further in the room, he saw her.

Kakashi all but ran to her side, scooping her up into his arms. "Sakura, wake up." He said, smoothing her hair. When he lifted his fingers away, Kakashi saw the bright red seeping from her scalp. There was a thin, but angry cut that appeared to have been caused by a sharp object. If he had to guess, Kakashi would assume she had most likely fallen into something. After observing the room, he noticed the nightstand, which was a very likely candidate.

He was about to carry her out the door when Sakura's eyes finally fluttered open. They landed on his face and Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

Her fingers went to the side of her head where the gash was and healing chakra poured out. The small wound healed instantly under her caresses. Sakura nodded, "I'm fine."

He stared at her, trying to determine if she really was okay. The thought just slipped out; he just couldn't help it. "This wouldn't have happened if you just moved in.", he said under his breath in frustration.

Sakura glared and then looked away. It hit her then that he was still holding her. One of his arms was hooked under her bent knees while the other held her neck and back to him. "Can you please put me down, Kakashi?" she asked grumpily. She only got grumpier when he didn't.

Kakashi took his time carrying her back to her bed and laying her down. "Really, Sakura, this could have been avoided."

"Kakashi…" she warned.

"Why did this happen, do you think? Maybe, over training." His gaze pinned her to the mattress. "You're performance is going to suffer if you keep this up."

"No! Don't give me that bullshit. This has nothing to do with my career and you know it. How does my falling down have anything to do with moving in with you or you at all for that matter?" She yelled as she stood up. Sakura was in his face in a matter of seconds.

"Would you like to tell me what this is really about, Kakashi?" her tone was venomous.

Kakashi blanked, trying to think fast. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Why are you all of sudden making such a big deal out of everything!? I'm so sick of this!" her yelling gained volume and she growled at him. "Why can't you just tell me the truth?"

"Tell _you_ the truth, Sakura. Why don't you tell me? Tell me why you won't move in with me. I mean if we're going to be completely honest!" Kakashi's usually cool temper heated up and, before long, he was just as angry as she was.

Sakura's eyes bugged out. "WHY! Why? Um, lets see. It would be weird, it would be awkward. It would ruin everything! Why can't you see that?"

Kakashi chuckled condescendingly, "Oh, Sakura. You make it sound like I'm trying to lure you to my apartment- like I'm trying to fuck you or something." He could see it on her face the moment he said it that he'd really shocked her. "What, Sakura? You can't handle being an adult?", he snarled in momentary anger.

Silence filled the room.

As his anger dissipated, he tried to close the distance between them, reaching out to her. His fingers grazed her cheek as he tried to apologize in his own way.

Her anger disappeared and embarrassment showed on her cheeks. She tried to say something, but she couldn't. She backed away from his hand and said, "Kakashi, please leave. I don't want to fight anymore."

His hand quickly fell and he sighed, "Sakura, you're over twenty. Why does living with a man scare you so much?"

"Go."

He'd come to see if she was okay and instead of finding out, it had become a yelling match.

Coolly, he whispered, "Please, Sakura." Hopefully, she'd know what he meant.

* * *

Sakura stood there, in the same place, for about ten minutes. She just couldn't understand that man. If she could just understand what the hell he wanted, it would make everything so much easier. However, what he wanted was the very thing that frightened her.

What could he want?

It had been three years since they'd become partners and after their second year anniversary, things had changed immensely. As you spend more and more time with one person, you become close to them- you become attached. She understood that. She even appreciated that. Kakashi was her best friend. You could say Kakashi was her life, but Sakura just wasn't ready to make that leap into living with one another. She feared it. She really did.

But… She was attached to him. Sakura did depend on him. She loved him so much that it scared her. Love that you feel for a friend is not something you tamper with and moving in with him would be tampering to the max.

She just couldn't make herself do it. Just couldn't.

Or could she? She loved Kakashi. That much was sure. There wasn't anything she wouldn't give him. If he needed help, she'd be the first to be there for him. She'd do anything to make him happy.

Sakura's heart sank. She'd do ANYTHING to make him happy. What did anything mean? Did anything apply to moving in with her teammate? If it made him happy, was it anything?

These questions flooded her brain and Sakura whimpered as they continued their onslaught.

It seemed Sakura had a lot to think about and maybe it was time for her to get over her fears.

She'd been alone for five years now. Maybe, it was finally time for a change. Maybe, it was time to let someone else in. Maybe, her and Kakashi could make it work- could make it feel right.

Maybe… Just maybe.

A day later and they still hadn't spoken. Sakura was still baffled by the whole situation and what he had said. They were to leave in an hour and Sakura, all of a sudden, was dreading this mission.

Sakura walked quickly toward the gates, hoping maybe she'd have a few minutes to think before he got there. Unfortunately, when she arrived at the gates, the gray head of hair stuck out like a sore thumb. Her gate slowed instantly, becoming sloth-like.

_I should apologize. He was only being concerned. I took it too far._

The subject of her thoughts looked up and waved at her. She really couldn't lollygag anymore. "Hey." She greeted him and then caved. She walked to him with a sad smile on her face.

As soon as she reached him, her arms were around him and she was blurting apologies. "I'm sorry. I overreacted." Sakura didn't even realize she was breaking her no physical contact rule. Kakashi did.

Kakashi laughed as his companion spluttered. "Does this mean you'll move in?"

Sakura sighed, trying to think of a reason she should say no. She tried, really, but it all seemed so trite now. Kakashi was right. She was a woman and she needed to get over the no men thing. Still, she tried again. Nothing came to her and, smiling, she pulled away. "Can I think about it for a little while? And give you my answer during the mission?"

Kakashi cheered on the inside. "You don't have to. My heart won't be crushed." He lied through his teeth. Realistically, he would be devastated.


	3. Chapter 2

**Violate**

**Chapter Two: **

**Hide**

The day wore on slowly, almost agonizingly so, and Sakura was growing weary of the travel. Her eyes followed Kakashis, focusing on his green vest. Her eyes burned and her head felt like it was going to explode, all in despite of the healing chakra she continually poured into it. Every minute they ran, it all got worse and her head got heavier.

She felt like she hadn't slept in months when, in reality, she had slept enough the night before. It was extremely strange- borderline odd and something she'd never felt up until the last few days. It didn't feel like the response to a concussion, which had been her original guess. The symptoms seemed so much more drastic.

Her body scream at her as she trucked on, ignoring as much of the bloody pressure concentrated at her forehead as she could. Sakura could handle pain, but every second it grew harder to hide it. Deep down, she just hoped Kakashi wouldn't notice.

She really didn't want that not at all. Sakura couldn't imagine him finding out. If he did, she knew exactly how it would go. Kakashi would scrutinize her and make a huge deal out of it. He would stop her dead in her tracks and then, condescendingly, he'd ask her if she could handle the mission. She'd get angry and defensive, and by the time it was all said and done, Sakura would be mad enough to sink a very large boat.

Sakura couldn't deal with that _and_ a pounding headache to go with it. She just couldn't, so Sakura kept moving, hoping every second that the migraine and fatigue would just go away.

Her eyes strained as she refocused on Kakashi's square back. She almost stumbled when he stopped suddenly and, in the distance, Sakura saw with hazy eyes the large green gates that led straight into the heart and center of Grass country.

Sakura counted herself lucky.

Their trek slowed to a crawling, slow walk and Sakura was grateful. The sound of concussion no longer screamed in tune with her brain.

They walked, seemingly disinterested, toward the gate guards.

Sakura glanced at them and one gave her a suggestive grin. As she fought back the urge to kick him the groin, the pervert checked her identification card. Meanwhile, the other guard checked Kakashi's.

Really, she had hoped they would just check the cards and send them on their way. No dice.

The lecherous guard, who reminded her of a much more annoying version of Genma (if that were even possible), held her card out toward her and, just as her fingers grazed it, he pulled it away.

"You can have it back if you agree to have dinner with me tomorrow." He stated, holding the card just out of her reach.

Sakura glared, her hand tightened into a fist. She counted to ten inside her head, hoping to calm herself down.

From the side, Kakashi's eyes glued to the guard's hand that wasn't holding her identification card. _No. No, he wouldn't._ Kakashithought as he watched said hand inch ever closer to his partner's lovely rear. He really questioned the man's sanity. Even more so, when the guard's hand finally cupped Sakura's behind.

Kakashi cringed as Sakura's eyes widened and the fist she had previously tightened connected with the ninja's jaw. He was out like a light and Sakura's card was back in her hand in a matter of seconds.

So much for a lack of hassle.

Being smart, the other guard sent them on their way, obviously fearful of the pink-haired kunoichi.

Kakashi chose not to comment on what had just transpired and went straight into business mode. "Kei inn is supposed to located about three kilometers from the gates and the owner is expecting us. Once in the room, we need to domesticate ourselves and establish our cover plan." He spoke just low enough so that only Sakura was capable of hearing him.

"Right." She said, nodding her pink head and following along side of him.

They walked in almost perfect silence for the twenty-five minutes it took them to walk, discreetly, the three miles to the hotel. Arriving casually at the inn, a pale older woman waved at them. The old lady introduced herself as the innkeeper and their confidante.

Without much further ado, a wrinkly hand dropped the key to room number 13 into Kakashi's hand and then proceeded to point them in the right direction.

* * *

Kakashi noticed that Sakura was acting a bit off when she walked directly to the restroom. She didn't come back out after fifteen minutes and Kakashi couldn't help but be concerned that she may be upset over the guard who had goosed her earlier.

If that truly were the case, Kakashi didn't understand why she would be upset- not in the least. His friend, Genma, had done much worse since the time Sakura had become his partner and a regular for the weekly pub night. She really couldn't be upset over that. Genma had grabbed much more than her ass in all his drunken stupors.

She really couldn't be upset over that.

He walked toward the bathroom door and knocked, hoping she was okay. There was no response. Kakashi stuck his ear to the door and it was quiet for a moment. Then he heard her retching.

Without even thinking about it, the gray haired man turned the doorknob and pushed it open. She didn't even look up as he approached her- just continued to vomit. His hands went to her hair immediately, fisting in it and holding it out of her way. He massaged her scalp and the back of her neck; trying to ease whatever pain she was feeling at that moment.

After five minutes of her puking and his hair-holding, Sakura finally lifted her head away from the toilet bowl. From his vantage point, Kakashi could see that a little bit of color had returned to her cheeks, and over all, he could tell she felt better.

Even with the change in her body, Sakura couldn't help but be disappointed in herself. Hiding things were a lot harder that she'd thought. All along, she's been trying to keep Kakashi in the dark and, now, he was holding a clean cloth to her mouth. He held it there for a few moments and then returned his fingers to her hair.

It was so hard to hide things from Kakashi.

Gentle, but calloused fingers still mussed with her hair and massaged her head. Involuntarily, Sakura leaned into his caresses. His thumb slid over her earlobe and down her neck, setting her nerves on fire and causing her breath to catch in her throat. Kakashi's other hand went to her temple, rubbing small circles above her eye. Subconsciously, she wiped at her mouth and, just after she'd done so, Kakashi's fingers ghosted over her lips.

A slow, quiet moan escaped her lips, successfully waking Sakura from her trance-like state. Her small hands wrapped around his wrists and Sakura stared up at him. She could tell he was worried. He looked genuinely concerned with a side of stoic.

"Sakura…" he whispered in a husky voice that made her knees weak. "are you alright?" he finished, using her grip on his wrists to pull her to her feet.

Unable to take her eyes off of him, she responded, "I'm fine." She was fine- felt great, but she couldn't seem to explain what had just happened; she didn't know how too. For some unknown reason, they had overstepped their boundaries, (boundaries that they had created) breaking the no touching rules.

In fact, they were still breaking them; Sakura realized looking down at her petite hands around his arms. She dropped them immediately, turning away from him.

"Why aren't you yelling?" she asked, unable to look him in the eye now that the situation had been brought to her attention.

He couldn't help it- Kakashi stared at her. What did she really think of him? Did she honestly believe that he would be mad at her over something that she had no control over? Did he really seem that cruel?

Still staring at her back, Kakashi responded, "What do you mean?"

Sakura shook her head gently, leaning against the sink. "We are on a mission. I shouldn't let anything jeopardize that." Her whole body was tense and her shoulders hunched uncomfortably.

Absentmindedly, his fingers went to her shoulders. He flattened his palm over her spine, using his fingertips to encourage her to relax. "Sakura, this is completely out of your hands. If you're sick, you're sick. Besides, it is a two month mission; we have plenty of time." He whispered close to her ear.

Sakura was acutely aware of the way his breath on her heated skin made her spine tingle; the way his fingers touching her made her shiver. She was desperate to get away from him, because her only other option was to concede- to give in to him.

Before she could even think about running out of the tiled room, Sakura was scooped up into a pair of strong arms and carried out of the bathroom. She couldn't even complain, because not two seconds later, she was dropped unceremoniously onto the single bed.

"Rest. I'll be back in an hour and I don't want to see you out of that bed. Got it?" he stared at her, pinning her to the mattress. Secretly, she was afraid to respond.

"Is this what I have to look forward to?" she asked sarcastically. Guess she wasn't afraid enough.

He was quiet, a small grin behind his mask that Sakura could barely see. She didn't even think he was going to say anything, but just as he was about to walk out the door, she heard him whisper.

"Among other things."

* * *

Her eyes were as wide as saucers and Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle as he saw her expression from the corner of her eye. A little whisper and Sakura was a blubbering mess. Kakashi actually found it absolutely astonishing and endearing.

Sure, Kakashi could admit there was a dual meaning to what he said. It wasn't awfully dirty, but Kakashi couldn't lie. He had no reason to deny the innuendo and sexual undertones in what he'd said. Really, he couldn't even begin to explain his dangerous attraction to the pink haired woman. Even more so, he couldn't explain the strange things her presence made him do.

Sakura was stunning, absolutely beautiful, but so were many other women in Konoha and none of them caused him to whisper slightly dirty things. Clearly, looks were not the only reason.

She was brilliant, making most women look like complete ditz'. Kakashi had no trouble having an intelligent conversation with her and he loved that about her, but he had the sneaking suspicion that intelligence wasn't the cause or the only cause.

So what was it?

Bright blue, feminine eyes broke him from his thoughts and Kakashi had to fight the urge to cringe. This girl had something about her that just screamed 'desperate'.

Without even knowing it, Kakashi had arrived at his destination. His feet must have just carried him to the jewelers. Glancing at the woman before him, Kakashi assumed she was the clerk. _Damn it._

"Can I help you?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. _Desperate all right._ Her tone gave him the feeling that she wanted to help in more ways than just shopping.

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow and then nodded, "Yes, I'm asking my lover to marry me and I need a ring that says, "I love you." That should crush whatever dreams or hope she had.

The clerk's nose crinkled in distaste and then, grudgingly, showed him to their ring selection. "What exactly did you have in mind?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, her eyes are green and I think I'd like something that would compliment them." He said, looking through the selection. _It_ caught his eye immediately. "Exactly like that one." He pointed towards a thin silver band with a light green stone in the center. The stone was a perfect match to the jade of Sakura's eyes. There were even smaller, darker stones placed at each corner. They only added to its beauty. It was almost perfect and would be perfect as soon as it was on her finger.

Before the clerk could even respond, Kakashi stated, "I'll take it." He honestly couldn't care less about the price. Strange for such a normally stingy man.

As they approached the pay table, he heard the clerk grumble. The whole time she wrapped it up; Kakashi heard what sounded like, "why are all the good ones taken?"

He could have laughed. _If only she knew._

* * *

A man watched from across the street as the mysterious leaf-nin entered the jewelry store. What could a leaf be doing so far away from home? Whatever the gray haired ninja was doing here, the man knew it wouldn't be good for them.

He would have to notify Hutara immediately. If Kakashi Hatake was here, something was definitely up.

After completing his other errands, Kakashi returned to the room hoping and praying that Sakura had taken his advice. He knew that she'd need to be well rested for what he had in store. She needed to be happy and accepting, because if she wasn't, Kakashi feared death by blunt objects.

It was all for the mission. Right?

To most ninja, the proposal would seem innocent, logical, and practical. It would make sense in their mission scenario- at least he thought it did, but sometimes Sakura could be a little obtuse and, at times, hypercritical.

Lucky for him, his pink-haired companion was sleeping peacefully in the room's single bed. Her quiet coos and slight intake of breath filled the room. He really hoped that Sakura would feel better afterwards. The sudden sickness worried him, not for the mission, but for her.

Her current state of unconsciousness gave him time to give his proposal it's final touches. Silently, he opened one of his bags and placed the small jewelry box on the table. Kakashi looked over his shoulder, watching Sakura sleep. The silly woman hadn't even bothered to pull the cover up over herself.

Even more silently, he approached the bed and gently lifted the blanket over her sleeping form. Thankfully, there wasn't even a stir from his companion.

He returned to his bags and emptied them of their contents: a small silver band that would serve as his 'wedding' band, domestic clothing for both him and Sakura, and dinner for later. Kakashi smiled and pushed the take out to the back of the table. He would wait for her to wake up.

* * *

His hand went to the zipper at his throat- just over his sternum and he slowly pulled it down. The heavy green material slid easily over his shoulders and landed on the carpeted floor. Once again, he glanced over his shoulder at his sleeping partner. Assured, he returned his fingers to the collar of his blue jounin shirt. Pulling it over his head, Kakashi dropped it on top of his divested vest.

Unknown to him, Sakura's eyes cracked open for a measly second- just long enough to catch a glimpse of very pale and very muscular back. She was about to close her eyes and go back to sleep, when her breath caught in her throat. Before her, Kakashi's hands moved toward his black mask. Sakura watched, waiting patiently as he dipped his fingers into the thin material and removed it. _Please turn around. _

She didn't understand exactly why his face affected her so. Besides the fact that it was extremely handsome, it was just a face and it wasn't like she'd never seen it before.

At the sound of a zipper, Sakura's attention was drawn from the back of his head to his lower half where pants had been a mere second ago. Her eyes snapped shut immediately.

This was wrong- so very wrong. She was watching him strip and enjoying it. If it weren't for the fact that if she moved Kakashi would know she was awake, Sakura would have picked up her pillow and smothered herself.

Her eyes were desperate to open, desperate to see. They did, taking in his beautiful physique. She stared unabashed, nearly drooling. Then it got worse: he turned around and she was presented with something akin to a Greek god.

Worse of all, her eyes were wide open and he stared her dead in the face. Sakura tried frantically to close her eyes and preserve her modesty, but no! They wouldn't look away from him- just continued to stare.

Kakashi's eyebrow rose and he muttered, "See something you like?" He didn't even bother to cover himself or hide his smile. He knew that, if he did, she'd forget all about the tension and look away. Glancing over her features, stopping to stare at her pink lips, Kakashi noticed the way they were slightly parted. Along with that he noticed her blushing expression. The combination of the two sent a shock wave to his lower half. _Fuck. _He thought. _I can't get hard right now._

Nevertheless, he did exactly that and as soon as his 'feelings' were made apparent, he turned away.

Quickly, he pulled on the jeans he'd purchased earlier that day. The rough material felt uncomfortable against his erection, but for the sake of decency, he wasn't about to walk into the bathroom and handle it. Not with Sakura in the room right next to him. No way.

Turning around, he didn't bother with his mask. Kakashi walked slowly toward the bed, his eyes on Sakura the entire time. Once Kakashi arrived at her side, his fingers went to her forehead. The pink-haired kunoichi flinched slightly, but still allowed it.

"Are you feeling any better?" he asked honestly, testing her temperature.

Sakura tried to focus on his question, but couldn't. The sight of his aroused body stuck in her mind like gum to the underside of a desk. Heat had surfaced all over her body, including places she didn't care to mention at all.

Kakashi would have smiled at her expression but he knew that would just make it even more awkward. He couldn't even begin to understand how she was feeling at that moment. What would he have done if some half naked, aroused man came over and smiled at him? He'd fucking run, no doubt about that.

His fingers slid off of her forehead and he walked over to the table where he had set the ring box earlier. Picking it up, he turned back to Sakura and marched back toward her. Kakashi was determined; he would not take no for an answer. "I've been thinking about our mission," he said nonchalantly as he sat down next to her on the bed. To his surprise, she didn't even scurry away.

"We need an alibi or an alter-ego of sorts during this mission- something that will help to make us blend in. I've thought about it a lot and I think our best choice is a marriage or engagement." He muttered the last three words, just so she could barely hear them. Kakashi eyed Sakura as her mouth hung half open and she looked like a shocked fish.

"What?" she sputtered, completely lost and caught off guard. One minute, he was checking her temperature. The next, he had a jewelry box. She stared at him as if he had four heads.

Kakashi waved his hands in mock surrender. "My idea is we are fiancé's looking for a place to have our wedding. That would explain our stay at the inn and so on. I bought our rings earlier, so that's taken care of, and you have clean clothes on the table for whenever you're ready." He dropped the green box at her side, signaling that the conversation was, for the most part, over.

Sakura could have yelled, could have screamed her head off, she knew, but she also understood that it would get her nowhere at all. Kakashi was team-leader (even though they were partners, he outranked her), so when all was said and done, he made the call. As bizarre as it was, Sakura could tell that he thought this was for the best. No matter how awkward it was, Sakura had to respect and act upon his decision. If they were to be married, married they were.

Her eyes dropped to the box by her lap and she tenderly picked it up. It was strange, but Sakura was slightly excited by the idea of receiving something so meaningful from Kakashi. Even if it was all just a hoax, it still felt nice knowing that someone had hand picked something for her and her alone.

Sakura glanced up at Kakashi and wasn't surprised to see him watching her every move. She felt the thin ribbon between her fingers and pulled gently. Once the box as free of its wrappings, Sakura lifted the lid and set it aside.

Her eyes caught on the stone and Sakura looked up at Kakashi, wearing the most stunning smile he had ever seen in his entire life.

"You like it." Kakashi stated, actually relieved. He knew that with her liking the ring, everything else would go much smoother.

She nodded, "It's very beautiful. Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He smiled, lifting the ring out of the tiny box with one hand and grabbing her left hand with the other. Kakashi kept it there for a few moments, smiling brightly without his mask on.

Sakura was sure she would turn into a lobster if he kept smiling at her like that. Kakashi's smile, his current one, was one of those smiles that stopped people dead in their tracks. It was the kind of smile that could make any girl fall in love with him. Sakura was trying so hard to not be that girl.

She coughed awkwardly, staring down at the hand he held. She watched, as if in slow motion, as Kakashi slid the silver and green band onto her ring finger.

For both of them, it was a very subtle and soft moment.

Kakashi stared at her and she stared at their hands. What came over Sakura in the next moment, she would never know, but the unthinkable did happen.

She leaned forward slowly, placing a gentle and chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. It hardly lasted a second, but once it was done, every ounce of tension in the room heaved onto their shoulders.

"Thank you." Sakura mumbled again, watching his face.

He gave her another breath taking smile and then moved away from the bed. He needed to get away from her, for her sake. Kakashi walked quietly across the room, in the direction of the bathroom. "I'm going to take the shower." A very cold one. "There's food on the table if you're hungry."

The door clicked shut and Sakura flopped back on the bed. "Oh god." She whispered, smacking herself on the forehead.

* * *

Kakashi loved it- loved watching her be all-nervous and on edge. If he were the honest type, he'd admit that he got off on the tension. It made him itch for her, like his body couldn't handle being away from her. Strange, he knew, but there was just something about her.

Not to mention, there was something about that kiss. It had been chaste, but it didn't feel empty. In his opinion, the corner of the mouth was reserved for the bedroom and lovers. Why had she chosen to kiss him there instead of on the cheek like she normally would have?

A cheek kiss he could have dealt with- a hug he could have dealt with, but instead, she kisses him like that- like she'd kiss the guy that kept her awake every night. She had kissed him like she would kiss the guy who made love to her.

Kakashi looked down his body to the waistband of his new jeans. Just as he'd expected, a very prominent bulge had made itself know. In frustration of the sexual kind, Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fucking beautiful." He breathed, turning the dial of the shower to maximum heat. Kakashi stripped himself of the single article of clothing and, throbbing erection and all; he stepped into the hot waterfall. The temperature was borderline scalding, but he didn't mind. He wasn't really in for the shower.

Fingertips glided over the flesh of his abdomen and Kakashi shut his eyes, conjuring the image of his pink-haired partner. She was there in his head and only for him. He like that. A lot.

Kakashi let his imagination run with it, causing him to appear behind Sakura.

_He moved a step closer to Sakura and his lips went to her ear, whispering. It was clearly something dirty, judging by the way she blushed like a tomato. However, she didn't move away from him. On the contrary, she turned around and into his arms. Her hands made their way over his face and down his body, stopping briefly over his nipples and then continuing their descent. She gave mischievous grin as her fingers grew ever closer to his…_

Kakashi moaned under his hands and imagination. His palm slid down his hard shaft and Kakashi couldn't help pretend it was Sakura's hand performing the action.

_Switching the standings, Kakashi mended Sakura's curves to each and every juncture of his body. She grinded against him as his hands cupped and massaged her breasts. Spurred on by her actions, Kakashi lowered his hands and allowed his fingers to slip into her panties. Sakura gave a heated sigh and then the whole situation changed._

_Lustily, he ripped her undergarments down her body and she unzipped his pants. Kakashi was inside of her the next second and they were on the ground the one after. His hands gripped her hips, holding her to him. Sakura was spread out on all fours while Kakashi kneeled behind her, thrusting roughly into her more than willing body. "Oh god." She gasped, digging her nails into the floor below her._

_Sakura supported herself with one hand, letting the other grip onto his thigh. Her nails bit into his leg and she groaned, enjoying the way he handled her body so roughly. The scratchy pads of his fingers tips gripped and pulled against her hips and moaning, Kakashi bent over her. Sakura gasped as teeth bit into the flesh of her shoulder. He didn't hold anything back and soon his canines were deep into her flesh. "Unh." she whined, half pain half pleasure. _

_Satisfied with the angry red mark near the back of her neck, Kakashi gave it a tantalizing lick and then proceeded to slam as hard as he could into her core. Sakura's face contorted in a silent scream and the hand gripping his thigh tightened instinctually._

_She fought to keep her eyes open as the pleasure pooled below her bellybutton. Tingles began to run up her toes and a heavy moan fell from her lips._

_Looking over her shoulder, Sakura locked eyes with him and begged, "please."_

Kakashi grunted, his toes curling against the smooth surface of the bathtub. All the tension in his body disappeared in a matter of seconds as he came to release, spilling his seed on the white ceramic.

"Sakura." He mumbled, resting his forehead on the tiled walls.

God, he was in deep. Kakashi honestly didn't know when he had lost all his control, but he didn't like it. Not one bit.

* * *

This was exactly why Sakura hadn't wanted to live with him. All these strange situations would surely make her go crazy. She shook her head angrily, "Why'd I kiss him like that?" she questioned herself as she stared at the bathroom door.

_First, I see him naked and more than a little happy. Honestly, what was that about? And he pretended it didn't even happen. Ugh._

_Second, he brings up the mission at such a strange moment and now we are meant to be married. What the fuck? I didn't even fight it. Instead, I kissed him. Am I ill?_

_I kissed him._

_I didn't kiss him on the cheek._

_I kissed him very nearly on the mouth._

_Now, I'm wondering what it'd be like to kiss him fully on the mouth._

_God! He's my partner. My partner!_

Sakura drug herself out of the bed and grabbing her clothes off the table. She dressed herself quickly and scribbled a note.

_Kakashi,_

_I went for a walk. I need some fresh air and some time to clear my head._

_I'll be back soon. You can eat without me._

_Sakura._

She practically ran out the door, fearing the sick feeling that was starting to resurface and coil inside her stomach. Sakura couldn't help but think she did it to herself.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Violate_**

**Chapter Three: **

**Vilify**

Sakura cried, tears falling down her pain-stricken face, as she dry-heaved behind a large singular tree. It had turned out to be the most secluded place and Sakura didn't really have time to be too picky. God, it was so strange.

She could feel herself approaching that forbidden zone- the zone where lines became blurry and dehydration added to fatigue split her body. It was a miserable feeling- felt like gentle murder, if there were such a thing.

Why was this happening to her? Why now of all times? Why on a mission? She asked herself so many questions, but none of them plagued her as much as the last. Why didn't her healing chakra do anything to help her?

It made absolutely no sense to her, feeling alien. In almost every case, Sakura could fix things- could help herself, but not now. And why not now?

Her fingers dug into the tree bark, allowing splinters and cherry scratches to cover her gripping hands. She felt like hell and the desperate need to channel her pain left her with bleeding hands and a raw throat. It wasn't fair. Of all times her healing powers would be useful, it would be now. No doubt about it.

All she could think about, as her throat turned from gift tissue to grainy sand paper, was how incredibly pissed she was with herself. She had been so reckless, just running out of the inn without even a glance back. It wasn't exactly a top-secret fact that Sakura had been far from healthy in the past two days, but did she think of that? Of course not.

Instead of taking care of herself, Sakura had decided to ignore what she knew to be a sign of illness. Sakura hadn't even bothered to eat or drink anything before she left. She felt so stupid. It was such a bad move for her to run and now she felt like she'd sacrificed her nose to spite her face. Or sacrifice her health to save her reserve.

She felt even more ignorant when she looked at her hands. Blood had surfaced all over her angry appendages and the whole time she stared at them, she realized two things. One, she looked like she'd got in a fight with a lawnmower and lost badly. Two, she needed to get back to the inn before she got any sicker.

As soon as her light-headedness faded, Sakura started to walk back. The whole time she traveled it felt as if someone was watching her. _Fuck._ Sakura thought, remembering that: Hey, guess what? You're on a fucking mission.

Cautiously, Sakura looked around, taking in her surroundings. She noticed, thankfully, that she was in broad daylight on a busy street. People, like her, were walking home whether it be from work, from school, or any other place. She was confident that nothing would go down here so she tried her best to ignore it and continued on her way.

* * *

He watched the strange pink haired female the whole time she stood behind the tree. Her entire body looked haggard and tired. He couldn't understand; it was so strange. Why did she hide her illness? Why didn't she get help?

Even as she heaved, his eyes ran the length of her body from her toes to her hands. _How odd._ The female dug her fingers mercilessly into the rough texture of the tree and he couldn't help but scrutinize her. It took a moment, but eventually he was able to put two and two together.

She was a fit female that he had never seen before who had completely blatant disregard for her health. He came to one conclusion and one conclusion only: kunoichi.

* * *

"Sakura, you look like hell." Kakashi noted immediately as she walked through the door of their inn room. Her hands were bloody, face pale, and her eyes had an unhealthy cloudiness to them. He was at her side in an instant, steadying her from the elbow.

She fought the urge to cling to him, as every bone in her body seemed to become weak. Only when her knees decided to buckle, did she latch onto him.

Kakashi was a pro, an example of perfection that did exactly the right thing at that moment. He led her to the bed and helped her sit down on the edge of the bed. Turning his back on her briefly, Kakashi grabbed a water bottle and the cup of soup on the table. Not but a second late, a water bottle was being guided to her mouth. As soon as the water hit the back of her throat, Sakura felt relief in her weak body.

He held the bottle to her lips in concentration. What in the hell had she done to herself?

Satisfied with her water intake, he grabbed the cup of miso soup he'd bought for her earlier. With deliberate slowness, Kakashi fed her. He really hoped that all she needed was nourishment.

About five minutes later, Sakura lifted her hand signaling for him to stop. She watched Kakashi as he set the cup down and gripped Sakura's hands. Noticing her cringe, Kakashi knew that they had to be dealt with before any rest could be had. His eyes adjusted, looking down at the bloody mess she called hands that set in his. He sighed, "Sakura, I'm going to clean up your hands. You can take care of them properly once you're feeling better."

* * *

Sakura watched painstakingly as Kakashi pulled splinter after splinter from her poor hands. She gazed over his face and noticed something. She noted how focused he was- how determined he was as he cleaned and cared for the dirty scratches. At an especially raw and angry one, Sakura let out a small whine.

At the sudden noise, Kakashi looked up at her. He gave her an apologetic glance as his hands worked over hers. "What did you do to yourself?" he asked, more to himself than her.

With a small smile, Sakura whispered, "Tried to be overly friendly with a tree." He coughed and she took it as a laugh of sorts.

Before she knew it, Sakura found her hands covered in a thin layer of white bandage. Kakashi sat next to her on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He appeared to be deep in thought about something and she just couldn't help but wonder what it was.

"Kakashi, what are you thinking about?" she asked, gazing into his mismatched eyes.

For a few moments, he just continued to stare at the ceiling and then he gave her a sideways glance. "I'm thinking about how a certain someone should be sleeping right now." He finally answered.

"I don't want to sleep right now."

"Then what do you want to do? Keep in mind. Nothing physically exhausting." Kakashi questioned, not taking his eyes off the ceiling.

Her white wrapped fingers brushed against his arm and she asked, "Will you just talk to me?"

"Sakura, you know as well as I do that I have nothing important to say."

Rolling her green eyes, Sakura said, "That's not true at all. Tell me some of your infinite wisdom. Tell me what you've learned in your thirty-some years of life."

Kakashi sighed, "Sakura." He turned to her and pinned her with one of those cold stares that just said, 'I don't want to.'

"Just talk to me." She said as her hand slid up to his shoulder.

Kakashi froze under her touch, made nervous by its intent. When her fingers glided onto his neck, he found his voice. "What are you doing?" He wanted to grab her hand, but he didn't want her to stop touching him. That was the last thing he wanted. Her curious touch made him itch again- itch to touch her back.

Sakura's explorative touch stopped its movement on his cheek and dipped into the material of his mask. "You seem so much more honest without this stupid thing on." She whispered as his mask pooled around his neck. "Now, talk to me."

He stared at her openly, fighting the desire- the urge he had to just roll on top of her and kiss her silly. It was a hard thing to do, but somehow he managed. "What do you want me to say?" he asked.

She felt brave, searching her mind for some topic that they'd never breached before. Boldly, she came to one and questioned him, "Why aren't you seeing anyone, Kakashi?" To be honest, his lack of a romantic relationship really confused her.

"Well you see, woman want too much." He said blankly and then looked at her glaring face.

She was narrowing her eyes at him as she spoke sarcastically, "Oh and what exactly is it that we want?" Sakura could tell that Kakashi wasn't the kind of guy who cared at all about what women want. He was a romantic hermit, for god's sake.

Kakashi smirked cockily, "You don't think I know anything, do you?"

"Nope. Not at all." She deadpanned.

He chuckled in response, "Okay, we'll see then."

"Women want one thing and one thing only. They want intimacy- not sexual intimacy, just intimacy. If the sex part comes around, it comes around, but what they want is almost friendship. Women want to know that that certain someone will always be on their side. They want a person who they can talk to- who can talk to them. Women need to feel secure like they don't have to worry about the other throwing them under the bus or throwing their honesty back at them. Intimacy. That's it." He said it like it was the most common knowledge, like you could find it anywhere. He said it like it was in some handbook.

The pink-haired kunouichi next to him stared in disbelief, her mouth agape and jaw dropped. How the hell did he know these things?

He chuckled again, "Too funny. Do you believe me now?"

She nodded robotically, still silent in hope that he would continue.

Kakashi easily caught her prompt and decided to appease her. "What's so interesting about relationships is that people don't even realize when the love of their life is sitting right next to them."

Eyebrow quirked, Sakura asked, "What do you mean?"

"Supposedly, your best friend is the most qualified, out of anyone, to be your lover." He answered, looking away from _his_ best friend.

Sakura's face reddened and she turned her head too. Though she and Kakashi fought often and argued considerably, they were still best friends. Did that make them perfect for each other?

After a few awkward seconds, he turned back to her. Surprisingly, she was looking at him too.

"So, that means you and I are…" Sakura trailed off, nervous about the question she couldn't seem to ask.

"Yes." One worded, Kakashi answered the question that he knew she would not ask. He watched her for a few seconds and then, caught up in the moment, he whispered, "Hold still." Ever so slowly, he leaned toward his bedmate.

Sakura froze and closed her eyes as his breath ghosted over her lips. Even as one of his hands tangled in her hair, she held perfectly still.

Using the hand he had in her hair, Kakashi tilted her face up towards his. Keeping her in place, he put his lips to the corner of her mouth- the exact spot where she had kissed him.

She really couldn't help herself; her head turned instinctually and she pressed her lips to his. It wasn't the same kiss she had given him. In fact, there was nothing chaste or gentle about it.

The hand in her hair tightened, crushing Kakashi's lips to hers. His other hand gripped the back of her shirt and pulled her on top of him, putting them in one of the most intimate positions known to man.

Sakura's eyes tightened for a second or two, adjusting to the shock of being kissed so passionately. Once adjusted, she kissed him back just as hard, clinging to his biceps.

Kakashi was so enraptured in the kiss that almost all thought had gone out of the window. He didn't think as his lips opened and his tongue darted out to taste her. Honestly, he couldn't help it. He was kissing the woman of his dreams finally. He was kissing _his _Sakura.

And she was kissing him back. It was everything he wanted and then some. It was beautiful.

Kakashi drew her bottom lip into his mouth and sucked gently before letting go and releasing the pressure on the back of her skull.

"Now it's my turn to ask you what you're thinking. Let's hear it." Kakashi whispered against her lips, fighting the urge to kiss her again. He needed to know what was on her mind and the only way he would ever find that out, is through her own mouth.

Sakura stared at him; lost like a deer in headlights. She felt so put on the spot- so nervous. "I honestly can't say I'm thinking anything. My mind is running a mile a minute." She whispered back, half-lying.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, prepared to call her bluff what it was: "Bullshit."

The pink-haired kunouichi released her grip on his arms and tried to pull herself away from the heat of his body. If she was going to say anything, she wanted to have a clear head. With him so close, that was impossible. Completely impossible.

He smelled amazing- like both the forest and the ocean. His scent was enough to suffocate her and take over whatever intelligent thought she had.

His unmasked face was beautiful- smooth but manly. It was so distracting and so hard to ignore.

His breath on her face made her legs shake. Even as she was lying down, the quiver that ran through her knees was something that easily sidetracked whatever she wanted to say.

She needed to distance herself- needing to get out of the bed that they had both been laying on.

Sakura pushed herself away completely and stood up. She felt his eyes on her the whole time as she walked to a chair and sat down.

"I don't know exactly what you want to hear right now, Kakashi. I also don't know exactly what's going on right now. You and I just can't… you know. We're partners, are we not?" She started rambling the minute she opened her mouth.

"We're a team. I can't risk something that has been so successful thus far for something that is just going to be a fluke of whatever."

Ramble… ramble… ramble.

Kakashi's hands tightened in slight annoyance as she went on and on, being completely negative about the situation. Why couldn't she just say something positive- say something good? It was always so pessimistic when it came to her. Why?

He couldn't help but think of the past as she went on about how wrong this whole endeavor was. Kakashi thought about Sakura and Sasuke- about how much she had loved him and how wrong everything had turned out.

Kakashi always wondered if Sasuke was to blame for the way Sakura was now. Maybe, she believed her love for Sasuke had turned him away and that, if she hadn't loved him, he'd still be all right in the head.

"Are you even listening to me?" Sakura demanded as she picked up the nearest object she could to chuck at his head.

Kakashi looked up just in time to avoid a spoon from hitting him in the forehead.

"You weren't, were you?" She fumed, standing from the chair and pointing her finger at him. She was shaking with instant anger.

"You know. I hate men! You guys say you want something, but once we give it to you, you aren't even paying attention!" Sakura threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "I can't believe this… fucking idiot." She growled, moving toward the door.

"Now, Sakura, this is no reason to leave. I really was listening." Kakashi lifted his palms towards her in mock-submission.

"Bullshit." She claimed, mocking him and throwing the door open.

"Sakura…" Kakashi called as she walked out the door. Why did she never listen?

Ugh… It was too late now.

* * *

Sakura practically ran toward the lobby. Anger filled her completely. How that man managed to infuriate her so, she'd never understand.

She was just about to walk out the door when someone caught her eye. A man wearing all dark clothing was moving past her with a very determined look on her face.

Could he just be in a rush? Or something like that?

For some odd reason Sakura couldn't shake him. She even tried to walk out the door, but as he walked quickly toward their room, Sakura couldn't make herself do it. In fact, she sped off after him.

It was as he went into hers and Kakashi's room that Sakura knew what was happening. She followed him in quickly, hoping to catch his back, but just as she reached out to grab him, something blunt hit her over the back of the head.

Then everything went dark and stayed dark.


	5. Chapter 4

**_Violate_**

**Chapter Four: **

**Cancer**

The man locked eyes with the pink-haired almost instantly as she rushed toward the exit. He knew she was one of the targets. Hell! He'd been watching the girl since she'd arrived.

Honestly, he thought they had to have been daft- these leaf-nin. They walked into the territory of the Hutara as if they were untouchable and, within a day, had gotten themselves caught. They couldn't honestly have thought they wouldn't be noticed.

It was too late by the time the kunoichi had finally realized the situation she was in. A partner had already entered their room and taken care of the other ninja. At this point, she was just shit out of luck and too dumb to realize it. By the time she'd ran back to their room, another man had already stationed himself, prepared for her arrival.

She hit the ground like I pile of bricks. Everything worked out just as it should have. Everything was perfect.

Sakura woke up to the dull pounding in the back of her skull- the kind of pounding that is the direct result of blunt force trauma. Her fingers attempted to reach for the wound, but they got only a mere inch before she realized that her entire body was chained- essentially trapped to the cement.

After a moment of taking in the feel of chains and the feeling of complete and utter panic, Sakura finally opened her eyes and took a look around. The first thing she saw was that she was trapped in a dungeon of sorts with four solid cement walls and only one door- one padlocked door. The second thing she noticed was that she thankfully was not alone. Sitting across from her, staring her in the face, was her partner- was Kakashi. Sakura actually let out a raspy, "thank god."

Then everything hit her in the face. The fact that this was all due to her rash actions and stupid rookie mistakes that she was much too old to be making. Her feelings had gotten in the way and she'd lost track of the mission entirely. She'd allowed herself to flee into enemy territory alone, angry, and pretty damn well sick. Sakura fought the urge to bang her head against the cement floors.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, locking eyes with her only companion. "This is my entire fault… I let my feelings get i-" she went on, only to be cut off.

"Shut up, Sakura. Stop blaming yourself. We are BOTH at fault. We both let our guards down and we both lost sight of the mission- we both underestimated the mission." He paused and then the corners of his lips dropped further, "But now- now Sakura, it is time to buck the fuck up. It is time to get this together. Whoever our captors are, they aren't going to stay in hiatus forever. That means we need to get our story straight." He paused again waiting for her response.

"We're an engaged couple. We're looking for our perfect wedding site. That's it. No more. No less." Sakura said robotically.

Kakashi smirked a little, "Good girl."

"Stay strong and do not break- do not give in. This cannot be compromised. I have faith in you and no matter how tough it gets, I'll be here- I'll pick up the piec- They're coming." Kakashi whispered and then closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Sakura quickly followed suit.

Not ten seconds later, two men entered the cement room. Sakura could tell by the number of footsteps. It was a clear, distinct difference. One had heavy footfalls, the sign of a burly or just clumsy man. The other had a light patter- a more professional gait. She figured out instantly that one had to be the leader and the other had to be the hired muscle.

Said hired muscle took absolutely no time introducing his boot to Sakura's side. All the air burst out of her lungs and her eyes sprung open, water leaking from the corners. "Bastard." She gasped.

Her watering eyes locked onto the big man and she practically snarled. He was the same guy she'd seen in the lobby. She also presumed he was the same guy who hit her over her head.

"Not so nice words from a lady." Said the smaller of the two with a bit of a laugh.

Sakura glared, "Apparently you need to find yourself a better lady, because you're sure as hell not going to find one here."

A hand wrapped in her hair, jerking her head back and tearing at her skull. "Now, listen bitch! I don't think you realize what kind of situation you're in. This isn't your game. This isn't your territory. WE are the ones in control here. WE are the ones that have you chained to the floor. We have you where you belong, so if I were you, I'd pick your words carefully and I'd pick them fast." The heavier man growled into her ear.

"I'll pick em', alright." Sakura mumbled just before jerked her head back even further to crack the guy in the nose. "I'd like to buy a vowel. How does broken fucking nose sound, asshole?" Sakura laughed out loud. She'd be damned if she allowed them to just man handle her. They'd get a taste of their own medicine.

The man grunted from behind her and the hand in her hair disappeared to cover the obviously broken nose. "You're going to wish you hadn't done that…" he growled, taking a step towards the other man.

"Oh really. I actually thought it felt pretty damn good. Hope it was as good for you as it was for me." Another laugh and Sakura glanced at Kakashi. There was a slight smile on his face and Sakura instantly knew he was proud of her.

The smaller man spoke suddenly, "King, stop. Apparently, physical threats aren't enough for her. Maybe we should consider her partner." He smiled and Sakura noticed the distinct glint of a knife in his hand.

_Fuck. _She thought.

They approached Kakashi. The burly man grabbed his hair in a similar manner as he had with Sakura and he ripped Kakashi's mask down his face. The skinnier man jabbed the knife towards Kakashi's throat.

Sakura heard herself gasp loudly and shook roughly against her chains. "I'll fucking kill you. I swear to whatever sick demented god you believe in, I will kill you if you so much as knick him." To her surprise, the men stopped.

"Okay, pinky. You want him to stay alive, you tell us who you are, who sent you, and what you're doing here."

"It's quite simple actually. I'm Elea and this is my fiancé Kane. We've just recently become engaged and are searching for the perfect wedding site." Sakura's voice didn't crack once as she recited her lines perfectly.

The two men laughed, "You're full of shit. We all know you're ninja."

"Last time I checked, ninja get married and being a ninja was not illegal." Sakura responded.

"Ha ha. You want to know something that is illegal, Elea? Murder… and if you don't start telling the truth soon, this room is going to become a crime scene." The heavy man said bitingly.

"Threaten me all you wish, but know this, the first cut you make will be the guarantee that I cut my own tongue out before you get a word from me." Sakura growled, telling the absolute truth.

She understood how interrogation worked. She'd watched Ibiki do it for years. She knew the routine. They'd pick the supposed weak one and use the other as a sort of leverage against them. The key to survival is to not give them the leverage.

The two men locked eyes for a couple seconds in a sort of understanding and then the one Sakura assumed to be the leader spoke, "Okay, honey, we'll play your game. We'll play the hard way. Just remember… you chose it."

The heavier man approached her, leaning down in front of her. He grabbed her face and locked eyes. Sakura glanced over and saw the leader doing the same to Kakashi. _No… genjutsu._ Then, like clockwork, his eyes locked on again and she was caught.

Balancing her chakra, Sakura tried to break it, but it was too strong- stronger than any genjutsu she'd ever witnessed. It tore down her body- throwing it against the cement.

It wasn't long before she lost consciousness, but the last thing she heard was the leader say, "You made your bed, now you lie in it."

* * *

_Kakashi's eyes snapped open, staring into the grey haze that surrounded him. His arms reached out, subconsciously reaching- hoping he'd find something, anything. What he found was something he never expected to find. His hands had landed on the soft skin he could only associate with one person._

_He'd found Sakura._

_Yet, he couldn't ever remember her being lost; he couldn't remember how they'd gotten there. He couldn't remember anything. _

_Slowly, but surely, Kakashi lost the will to care that he'd lost his memory. Instead he became acutely aware that he was alone with the kunoichi, with whom he was enamored with. Not only were they alone, but they were in a situation where no one or anything could get in the way of them._

_No one could say, "She's too young.", "He's too old.", or "Pedophile." No one could say anything. It was just Kakashi and Sakura. No one else. _

_Entranced, Kakashi sat up, allowing his hand to grip on to the woman next to him. She wasn't awake. He shook her. She wouldn't wake. Growing frustrated, Kakashi allowed himself to take in her disheveled appearance. _

_Sakura's hair was in complete disarray. It billowed over her shoulders, delving toward her midsection and wrapping around her uncomfortably bent arms. Her hair moved gently with each intake and outtake of breath, her chest rising ever so slightly allowing her breasts to push against the fabric of her red tank top. Kakashi couldn't help but notice the ample amount of breast that was threatening to spill from the top of that very tank top. Kakashi couldn't help but want to help them along- to speed up their process._

_Conveniently, Kakashi dropped his hand and allowed it to search his pants pocket. Just as expected, his hand landed on the kunai he'd known to have been there. _

_Excited- fascinated, he let this armed hand reach towards her chest. Anxious, his moves became clumsy. He went to cut at her tank top and 'accidently' he cut a little too deep. Kakashi was concerned for a second, but then he saw his prize. _

_Sakura's fantastic and perfect chest had taken direct action and fallen from her shirt. They were beautiful. Perfect. Round. Exceptionally proportioned to her body. The only flaw- a flaw he'd created, was a thin but deep red gash running directly between her two breasts._

_Kakashi didn't understand, but, for some reason, this line made him angry- infuriated him. He couldn't stand it- couldn't look at it. The need to make it go away overcame his every other need._

_His hand ran down the center, drawing blood onto his hands. It struck him quickly that this was Her blood- Her essence. The desire for it became uncanny and, before he could help it, his fingers had made their way into his mouth. The taste flooded his senses and its salty-sweet flavor made him crave her more. _

_His body quickly found a way to straddle her, allowing his tongue to run between her breasts and lap up the small puddle of blood that had formed there._

_It was as he did this that Sakura's eyes finally opened. He saw the look on her face- saw the shock and became nervous. He'd been caught and he didn't want her to stop him._

"_Kakashi." She whispered. _

_He knew what words would come next and, angrily, one of his hands covered her mouth. He didn't want to hear those words- would not hear those words._

_With his free-hand, Kakashi tore the remainder of her tank top from her body, allowing it to fray and destroy itself as his eyes feasted on her tanned skin._

_His hand lifted off her mouth long enough to hit a pressure point known to render the victim unconscious. Her eyes widened as he did this and he heard her gasp, "No, Kakashi. No." _

_It was too late. She was asleep again and open to his musings. _

_His hands busied themselves with her breasts, smearing blood as they went. His mouth attacked her lifeless one, mixing saliva, blood, and more saliva. The taste flooded his senses again and he grew impatient, needing her. _

_Her skirt and his pants were ripped off in a matter of seconds and not too long after, Kakashi found himself inside of her- found himself relishing in her heat. Kakashi couldn't control himself as he writhed, thrust, and slammed into her. He'd become so overwhelmed that… it wasn't till it was over that he realized he had broken her- stolen her purity._

_The blood covered his member, his thighs, and parts of his abdomen. He could smell it, could see it, and could feel it. _

_Sakura had been a virgin. And now… he'd taken that._

* * *

Kakashi broke from the genjutsu screaming in agony- screaming over what he'd watched himself do.

"NOOOOO!" He screamed, thrashing his body against the chains and slamming his fist into the solid cement until they were raw.

He was disgusted with himself. He'd broken her- torn her apart. He'd cut her and allowed himself to taste her blood- to be covered in her blood.

Kakashi couldn't deal with it- couldn't within himself. His stomach turned and Kakashi dry-heaved whatever food had been in his stomach onto the cold cement next to him. Once his stomach was emptied, Kakashi couldn't stop. He just gagged and gagged until he almost choked on air as he tried to desperately fill his lungs.

He wanted to choke- wanted to die, so as to never hurt her like that.

Tears ran down his face as Kakashi stared at his hands, looking for traces of her. He wiped at her mouth trying to rub away the evidence.

When his hands came back clean aside from the blood coming from his own knuckles, Kakashi's eyes opened and it all became clear. None of it had happened. It was all the genjutsu.

Relief swam over his body. He hadn't hurt her- hadn't stolen anything from her.

It was then that he looked up to find her. Her face was covered in tears. Her eyes were filled with fear. She looked sick and scared shitless and his heart ached for her.

"Sakura…" he whispered gently.

"Tell me it didn't happen, Kakashi. Tell me it was all fake- all the genjutsu. Please tell me… tell me… you'd never." Sakura pleaded, her eyes begging him to make it better.

His heart broke then- cracked in half. Could she actually think of him that way? Had he not earned her trust?

Kakashi shook his head, trying to break from the negative train of thoughts. He had to tell her- had to let her know.

"None of it was real… None of it. I would never…."

Tears still rolled down her face, but somehow Sakura found the strength to nod.

"Okay…" she whispered, trusting him- trusting him just as she always had.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Violate_**

**Chapter Five: **

**Despoilment **

They sat in silence for what seemed like days, unable to look at one another. Just days ago –or what they thought were days ago, they'd shared a kiss that shattered everything they'd come to know of each other. At least, that was the case for Sakura. That single kiss had changed everything. They'd gone from just teammates who were moving in together to teammates who couldn't diagnose their feelings for one another.

Their once simple, stable, and nearly indestructible relationship was crumbling. Their strong, reinforced foundation was slowly being chipped at by, what seemed like, blow after blow.

Kakashi's little speech on intimacy had rocked and misguided every thought Sakura originally had about her former teacher. She once regarded their relationship as purely platonic and professional. How could she now after everything that had transpired?

And it hadn't just started either. Sakura had begun to notice a change in Kakashi about six months prior. Their conversations became more personal, more invasive. Kakashi became more interested in spending time with her and probing her about her days. His gazes began to linger and then his obsession with her moving in began.

At the time, Sakura had tried to simply explain it all away. She thought he was just getting lonely –that his thirty-four years of life were finally catching up to him. Even secretly, she thought, maybe, he was trying to fix their past –to repay her for all the times he'd basically ignored her existence.

But now, everything was completely clear. The concern for her well-being went past that of a teammate and entered the realm of a person seeking something more. All the lingering gazes finally added up. And it had all started with a simple kiss she'd given, without thinking, in thanks for a well-thought out 'gift'. It had only gotten worse when they'd laid in bed together discussing love and what women expected of it. That discussion had resulted in the most heated kiss Sakura had ever had and now everything had been turned upside down. She couldn't see her partner in the same light anymore and she actually felt as though she need be cautious of him from now on.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, through the genjutsu, their status only continued to change. Now, they couldn't even exchange glances. They both knew the genjutsu was simply that… a genjutsu, but what they'd seen made everything different.

Sakura had watched, as if she were a member of an audience, as Kakashi violated her body, tasted her blood, and stole her virginity. She'd be a liar if she said it was something she could get over that quickly.

Sakura would be a liar to say she'd ever had an intimate encounter with a man. She, at the age of twenty, still remained virginal. This wasn't by choice or something she was ashamed of. The right guy just had never come around or her version of 'right' didn't exist. And frankly, she just hadn't had the time. Up until four years ago, she'd spent ninety percent of her time in the hospital. Unfortunately, the air of the hospital began to stale and her body began to ache for physical labor and the work of a ninja. For a year, she'd worked as a member of ANBU. If it hadn't been for Kakashi's proposal three years ago, it would have been likely she'd still be working as an ANBU black op.

In no way did Sakura regret her decision in forming their partnership, but everything about this mission had made her question it. From day one.

Everything Sakura had feared about hers and Kakashis relationship had come to fruition… and then some. She'd been afraid of the lingering glances –afraid of feeling something that would destroy their teamwork and professional relationship.

And that was the question… what were her feelings? Was the kiss days ago simply an act of convenience or circumstance? Or was there some actual weight to it?

Frankly, Sakura just didn't know and it was driving her to the edge of madness.

_This is everything I didn't want. At least, I think I didn't. If we'd never kissed, this genjutsu wouldn't have shaken us so much._

* * *

Sakura was shaken from her thoughts when she caught a tiny bit of movement out of the corner of her eye.

Kakashi sat with head in hands. Comprehension had evaded him. He was no virgin to grim scenes or the idea of rape, but this was just too much for him. Kakashi just broke –hands, chained and ragged, gripped at his temples, so incredibly pained by the images that just wouldn't go away. Over and over again, Kakashi saw Sakuras breasts covered in blood and felt the unimaginable and uncontrollable urge that came along with the image. It just wasn't him. Kakashi felt destroyed.

_Who are these guys? And how did they learn such a powerful and dreadful genjutsu? This wasn't in the mission description. We weren't prepared._

Whether it was real or not, Kakashi heard the very thing he never wanted to hear: Sakura. Crying and all because of him. In his mind, all he could hear were sobs and whimpers. He couldn't deal with this anymore.

"Sakura…" Kakashi practically begged –practically pleaded, hoping for the sake of whatever had started between them during the beginning of this mission and what had previously existed they could get through this. "Please, you know… don't you?"

"Kakashi, it wasn't you. I know that. We already discussed this. Stop thinking about it. Disconnect." Sakura begged him. She couldn't have him –her rock falling apart. "I need you. You can't give up yet. We both know this is only going to get worse."

Kakashi knew she was right. Things would get much worse. They'd only really experienced the first part of what their captors had in plan for them. That fact, however, didn't make it any better.

The fact that he couldn't disconnect from Sakura was another matter that wasn't helping. He'd realized quite some time ago that he was completely incapable of doing so especially in situations as frightening as this one. He couldn't handle the thought of anyone raping her body, leeching her mind, or spoiling everything beautiful about her. Being forced to deal with his own image doing these things was even worse.

Kakashi had never taken anything by force and would never do so.

Suddenly, the images plaguing his mind no longer saddened him. Instead, they angered him incredibly deeply. "I'm not that man." Kakashi whispered under his breath.

Sakura heard his faint muttering and silently encouraged him. _That's right. Get mad._

"Sakura, I'm not that man." Kakashi said a moment or two later, staring her dead in the eyes.

In response, Sakura mustered the best smile she could and nodded. This was a breakthrough considering his silence over the last couple of hours. She'd known he was beating himself up. To hear him finally acknowledge that he wasn't guilty made her feel a little better.

"What do you think they're going to do now?" Sakura said holding her partners gaze.

Unfortunately, Kakashi knew exactly what they were going to do. "They're going to torture us. Most likely, they'll go after you first in order to get to me. Based on what we've just seen, I don't know how far they'll go, Sakura."

Sakura easily read through his words. Kakashi believed they'd rape her. It wouldn't be the first mission where a female ninja would have been sexually violated by a captor. It surely wouldn't be the last. Sakura tried to bristle herself for the situation.

"What should I do if… if he tries?" Sakura hoped her partner would have all the answers.

Heel clicks seemed to signify the end of their conversation and Kakashi said in one word, "Fight."

Their eyes locked in understanding, but Kakashi felt like a liar. He'd be nothing more than a broken mess if he had to witness the violation of the woman he was madly falling in love with. He'd be suicidal.

Kakashi thoughts stopped racing as those same familiar footsteps they'd heard only what felt like an hour ago sounded throughout their dungeon. Kakashi and Sakura had to prepare themselves for whatever was about to happen next.

Lan and King walked in through the heavy door with huge grins plastered on their faces. They'd gotten what they wanted whether Kakashi or Sakura showed it or not. They thought the genjutsu was sure to break them completely and they were sorely mistaken.

Lan, just as Kakashi knew he would, went straight for Sakura, getting as close as he possibly could to her. His right hand went to her cheek and with a fake, sympathetic expression on his face, he asked, "How can you let him do these things to you? He's a horrible, horrible man. I wouldn't even do that to you."

Kakashi could do nothing more than just sit there and listen. Meanwhile, King loomed over him, waiting for him to try to convince Sakura otherwise.

Hope settled into Kakashis mind when Sakura pulled away and spat in his face. Kakashi wanted her to fight and damnit, she'd fight. Tooth and nail.

"You're full of shit." Her voice cracked and reminded Kakashi of how long they'd gone without water. The fact that she still had the strength to fight back was all he needed to prepare for his end of the fight.

"Am I? I guess we'll have to wait and see, won't we?" Lan said, still smiling as he wiped his face, and made a hand gesture at King. The two men locked eyes and some sort of understanding was established.

Sakura thought they were going to put them back into the genjutsu and her heart sank. Not again, so soon.

Soon, however, their motives became quite clear.

Lan moved back momentarily to pull something from his pocket. A metallic gleam caught Kakashis eye and he knew what was going to happen. Instantly, he thrashed against his chakra-laden chains trying desperately to rip them out of the ground. King was on him in seconds, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back.

"You can stop it. Just tell us who you are!" King said while holding him in place. Kakashi tried to yank away, but between the chains and the what-seemed-like five hundred pound man, Kakashi stood little chance. "I know this must be terrible for you. You can end it. Don't put her through this." he continued.

Kakashi recognized this technique all too well. They were playing good cop and bad cop trying to guilt him into telling them their whereabouts. It was working. He had to grit his teeth in order to remind himself they couldn't be found out.

"You stop this right now! I swe-" Kakashis words were stopped when Lan moved in on Sakura. The metal Kakashi had seen was a scalpel. _No… no._

Lan used his empty hand to grip Sakuras head by her hair. Sakura stared him in the face, goading him, "Do it. I dare you. I'll never tell you anything and neither will he! So just get it over with!" She screamed into his face.

Not even a second later, Sakura found her back flattened to the ground with Lan hovering over her. His empty hand held her left shoulder down as his other hand scraped the scalpel, laid sideways, against her jaw bone. "You'll tell me everything or I'll do to you everything he did to you." Lan said as he used the scalpel to gesture towards Kakashi."Get the fuck away from her now!" Kakashi screamed. In that moment, Kakashi wasn't prepared for any of this –couldn't deal with it. And he wouldn't get to.

King pulled a length of rope from his back pocket and tied it across Kakashi's mouth. He could only murmur now. They were forcing him to face it all in silence.

Sakura lay in silence, prepared to take whatever would happen. She wouldn't compromise the mission no matter what he did to her. Naruto had made one thing clear: that this couldn't get back to Leaf.

Lan continued to scrape the scalpel against her skin and Sakura saw something in his eyes change. They went from rough-looking to flat-out evil and ruthless. The only thing she wanted to do was wipe that away. It took a second for Sakura to prepare for what she was about to do, but she knew she couldn't let him just win.

Sakura waited about a minute before head-butting him straight in the nose. She cherished the second in which she heard his bones crunch and blood began to pour from his face. Honestly, she didn't even care that the scalpel had sunk about an eighth of an inch into her jaw. Nor, did she care when the metal tip broke against her bone.

Lan pulled away to cover his face. "You bitch!" he spluttered as he reset his nose, "You're going to pay for that."

He was back on her in a second, ripping her tank top apart, exposing her breasts. Sakura tried to lift her arms to cover herself, but as soon as she did, she found them pinned down by Lans knees.

"I warned you. I did. And you thought breaking my nose would make it end." His words seeped from his mouth like venom as he touched the now broken scalpel to the skin in between her breasts.

Sakura just laid there. She knew what was coming. If she tried to fight it, her injuries would be worse. Sakura bit her tongue as the blade bit into her sensitive skin. She'd be damned if she'd show him any kind of weakness. The metal cut a clean line down the center of her breasts. Blood gushed rapidly from the eighth of an inch deep wound that only got longer as Lan dragged the blade down her body. Only when he was about three inches above her bellybutton did he stop.

Her broken skin burned with its exposure to the stale dungeon air and only burn more when Lans tongue dipped out to drag along her cleavage, tasting her blood. Sakura bucked off the ground trying to get his mouth away from her, but it was really to no avail and eventually she did exactly what she'd told Kakashi to do: disconnect.

Her body stayed still as Lans hands grabbed at her body roughly. The way he touched her breasts was bruising. In a matter of seconds, her body was covered in bloody handprints.

Kakashi growled through the rope in his mouth, cursing internally and yanking against his captor. His whole body ached for her, wishing she could just escape. Angry tears started to creep from the corner of his eyes. Why did it always have to be her?

Kakashi screamed internally, wishing it all would just end. He tried to close his eyes –tried to tune it out, but he couldn't. He had to bare this with her. She was being so strong that he had to too.

Lans teeth cut into Sakuras skin, drawing blood. Blood covered the entire top half of her body as it pooled from the gash in between her breasts and seeped out of the bite marks.

Just when Kakashi thought it was going to get worse, Sakura spoke, "Will you get it over with, you fucking psycho! I don't care!"

Spurred on by her words, Lans hands moved from her upper body to his own crotch and unzipped his pants. Seconds later, he began to busy himself with hers.

Sakuras eyes widened in shock. She had to do something. She wasn't about to just let it happen. Checking her chakra reserves, Sakura detected what little chakra she had and determined that if there were a time to use it, it was now.

With every ounce of Sakuras remaining strength, she pooled all of her chakra into her abdomen and bucked up off the ground, tossing Lan into the air and away from her. Lans head cracked against the ceiling and then he fell, unconscious, to the ground.

Sakura too fell into a world of unconsciousness, having depleted every ounce of energy she had. At least, now, she wouldn't have to feel it.

As soon as Lan hit the ground and Sakura blacked out, King reacted immediately, hitting a nerve in Kakashis neck forcing him into blackness.

* * *

Sakura woke up first and couldn't help but notice the extra weight on top of her. The instant she opened her eyes, Sakura came face to face with her partner, lying on top of her completely unconscious. Instantly, she tried to throw him off of her. She had no luck and soon became aware of the new chains tying her to Kakashi and Kakashi to her.

Shackles were on both of their ankles with chains attaching them together. Their legs were connected by a foot long chain and a chain was wrapped around them, tying their abdomens together.

Sakura didn't have time to think about why they'd done this due to the ache of her body. She was still nude from waist up and covered in blood and bite marks. Sakura was too weak after expending the chakra to throw Lan off of her. She couldn't heal herself.

Her partner's body was pushing against her, applying pressure to all of her bloody gashes. Slowly the blood began to gush out. She had to get him off of her.

She lifted her weak arms and shook him by the shoulders as hard as she could. "Kakashi, wake up!"

For about five minutes, she did this until he finally began to open his eyes.

Once he did, they widened to their maximum, taken aback by their current situation. Just as Sakura had, Kakashi tried to create space between them by moving, but was denied just the same.

"We're chained together." Sakura said staring him in his single gray eye and his ominous red one.

Kakashi looked down to see Sakura's blood-soaked and naked bare body. He cringed. It was like living the genjutsu all over again.

"Kakashi, we need to roll over or something. This is incredibly painful." Sakura said in a calm voice, trying to get him to focus.

"Okay, just hold still."

Sakura soon found herself lying on top of him, her body somewhat relieved of the pain. But now, awkwardness spread throughout the room. She didn't know what to say. Not only was she bleeding and lying on top of her teammate, but she was practically nude.

Kakashi didn't know what to say either, but luckily he knew what had to be done. "Sakura, can you lift your chest for a moment? I'll give you my shirt." He whispered in a gentle voice. He could only imagine how uncomfortable this must be for her.

"Kakashi, I need you to do something first, okay?"

"Anything. Absolutely anything." He said as enthusiastically as he could.

"I know you're not much of a medic, but my chakra reserves are bone dry and if we don't do something about this…" She said, gesturing to the wound in the middle of her torso, and then continued, "I might bleed to death."

"Just tell me what to do."

"Check your chakra reserves and focus as much chakra as you can to your hands. Be sure this is healing chakra. It'll appear blue to you in color. Using this chakra, focus it on my wound. If we can at least get it to scab and stop bleeding, we'll be better off."

Her voice was completely calm as she directed him. Kakashi almost thought it was too calm for someone who had just gone through what she did. Instead of questioning it though, Kakashi did as she said and focused on fixing her.

Within about ten minutes, Kakashi had managed to stem the blood flow and heal half of the damage. He stopped when he realized he was getting light headed from chakra loss and Sakura said, "That should be good."

"Alright, how about that shirt now?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura nodded and lifted herself off of him as much as she could as Kakashi somehow pulled his long-sleeve shirt over his head.

Unfortunately, that was the easy part. Now, they had to figure out how to get it onto Sakura with the chain around their midsection.

Kakashi laid flat straightening the shirt out above his head and said, "Sakura, lay flat and put your arms up into the sleeves."

After a couple minutes or awkward shimmying, Sakura was no longer exposed and felt a little less uncomfortable. The discomfort gone, all she felt was raw emotion. Her eyes began to well up with tears and, eventually, she just cried into Kakashis neck. She just couldn't be strong anymore.

Without a second thought, Kakashi wrapped his arms around her and weaved his fingers into her blood-matted hair. He couldn't do anything else. He couldn't say everything was okay. He couldn't make any promises, because he just didn't know.

"Kakashi, what are we going to do?" Sakura sobbed against his skin.

Kakashi laid in silence for a minute before responding with the only answer he had, "I just don't know."

Sakura broke in that second. Her body was racked with sobs, unable to process anything and Kakashi did the only thing he could and wanted to do – he just held her.

Sometime during Kakashis embrace, Sakura slipped into sleep leaving Kakashi alone with his own thoughts.

His very negative thoughts.

* * *

"_Kakashi, what are we going to do?"_

Her question plagued his mind. Never had he felt so helpless.

Just when things had started to go right back in the village, they were thrown into this mess. A mission that had seemed so simple was on the verge of tearing them apart and he couldn't do anything about it.

Everything he had fought so hard for was going to be destroyed. Just when she'd finally agreed to move in with him –just when he'd finally be able to explain everything and tell her the truth, everything was ripped out from underneath him.

This wasn't the way Kakashi wanted to tell her. Not with her body marred with blood and wounds. Not with the risk of him violating her within a forced genjutsu.

He had wanted to wait until she moved in to his apartment. He had wanted to have time to explain everything to explain when he'd realized how much he needed her. He had wanted everything to be perfect as he told her about the day he realized he loved her. And not the kind of love between friends, but the kind of love between… well between lovers.

Now, he didn't know if he ever could tell her and if he did, would it be the parting words of those about to die.

Without realizing it, Kakashi had tightened his arms around Sakura, almost clinging to her. The mere thought of her death was enough to break him down.

Kakashi pressed his lips to her temple and breathed, "I love you…" against her skin.

Taken over by emotion, he allowed himself to kiss along her cheek and down to her jaw bone, shifting his body down in order to reach it. He placed a kiss on the scalpel wound on her jaw. His kisses were light enough not to wake her, enticing him to venture and kiss the corner of her mouth just as she had kissed his days ago before they'd ended up here –the day he'd given her the ring that he'd chosen for her to simulate their fake marriage.

His right hand searched out her left one, feeling for the ring. He was immediately relieved when he felt it was still there.

For awhile, Kakashi allowed himself to intertwine their fingers together as though they really were everything he wanted: married.

He allowed himself to run with this image, even though, at this point, nothing was guaranteed. Their survival wasn't guaranteed and neither was the idea that she'd accept him as a lover. In both cases, all he could do was hope.

Kakashi ached for her. He had loved her for over six months now and had virtually left it unspoken aside from the kisses and conversation they'd had in the hotel room on the day of their capture.

For over six months, he had kept it inside, trying to deny it –trying to tell himself he could get over it.

He knew now that he'd never get over it.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Violate_**

**Chapter 6: **

**Grasp **

_Six Months Ago…_

The Village Hidden in the Mist was definitely not one of Kakashi's favorite places to be. The never-ending and ceaseless mist made it impossible to read. If he even tried to open his book, the pages would instantly become saturated with moisture. Not just that, but the mist was very hard on the mood.

Kakashi looked to his right, glancing at his partner and best friend. Sakura, always the optimistic, didn't appear to be at all bothered by Kirigakure's trademark weather. Kakashi deduced that it was likely due to the nature of their mission, which was seemingly the most relaxed mission they'd had in a very long time.

Really, the mission was quite simple. They were simply passing along a message to the new Mizukage, Mei Terumi. Apparently, the new kage was apparently much more interested in being involved with the villages than her prior, Yagura, had been.

A young female shinobi in the Leaf Village was discovered to have a kekkai genkai that only the Mizukage, or as far as they knew, had. Unable to help hone that skill, Tsunade had requested assistance from the Mizukage. Mei had accepted whole-heartedly, claiming it would be a pleasure and requesting her delivery to Mist as soon as was permissible.

Seeing as the young shinobi was only of genin rank and the Ninja World was still struggling through dangerous time, an escort was absolutely necessary. That was where Sakura and Kakashi had come in.

Despite Tsunade's opinion that the mission could be quite dangerous, it had gone off without a hitch and they'd delivered the girl to the Mizukage within 4 days of leaving Konoha.

It was now, as they were searching for a place to rest their heads before their trek back to Konoha that Kakashi began to feel a little melancholy due to the weather. He really did not like it here. Between the village's ever-so-shady past and its weird weather, Kakashi couldn't help to feel a little down.

Sakura must have picked up on this because all of a sudden she stopped walking and just stared at him with her eyebrow raised. "Is there something wrong, Kakashi?".

"Oh no, it's nothing. I just don't really like the weather here. Makes it impossible to read my books." He said with a chuckle and then smiled at Sakura to assure her that everything was alright.

Sakura's laugh caught him off guard. "Well what's so funny now?" He asked, scrutinizing her just as she had moments prior.

Her laugh continued as she spoke, "Let me get this straight… You're upset because the evil-wittle mist is interrupting your perverse reading habits?" After she finished her sentence, Sakura's laugh broke out into full force, unable to control herself. "Hatake Kakashi, the famous Copy-Ninja, who never lets anything bother him, is upset over some mist. That… that's priceless."

Kakashi just stared as her guffawing slowed to a gentle giggle. He decided he really liked Sakura's laugh, especially this one. It didn't even matter that she was laughing at him and not with him, because in that moment, Kakashi was just taken aback by her beauty. Untainted, happy and peaceful laughter suited her very well.

Before the moment was lost, Kakashi decided to lock this image into his memory and lifted his hitai-ate to fully take it in. He let his sharingan graze over her delicate features that were consumed by her laughter. The faint pink blush that spread over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose suited her quite well. The way the corners of her mouth lifted in a genuine smile as she gasped for breath- the way her eyes squinted shut while tears of unabated laughter leaked from their corners. He took it all in.

It was quite rare for Kakashi to get to see her like this on a mission. Generally, she kept a very serious façade during missions trying to ensure those around her that she was dependable. He, of course, already knew this, but he knew all about facades and he didn't blame her. Simply, he was just grateful for the glimpse of the Sakura he'd known long ago before everything went to hell in a hand-basket. In times like these, being grateful was sometimes all you could do.

"Well if you're done making fun of me, how about we find a hotel like we had planned." Kakashi said, breaking Sakura out of her giggles.

Sakura just nodded, but as he walked away, Kakashi was sure he'd heard her whisper, "Party-pooper…"

_Oh, now that's it. I'll show her a party._

Kakashi turned on his heels so quickly and came face-to-face with Sakura in a matter of seconds. "What was that, my dear partner?" He said with a smile on his face.

Sakura was just about to open her mouth to speak, when she found herself slung over the shoulder of her former sensei. "Now, what the hell do you think you're doing?" She spluttered as he started to run rather quickly through the village until he reached his destination at Mist Inn.

"A room for two." He said to the desk clerk who was staring at him as though he had four heads. However, the man seemed to ignore the woman draped over his shoulder and simply handed him a key and said, "Room 13. Checkout is at noon."

Kakashi gave the man his two-finger wave and headed for the room. "I'm going to show you a lesson, Miss Haruno." He said as he traveled through the hallways which led to their quaint little hotel room.

Quicker than Sakura could register, Kakashi opened the door to Room 13 and tossed her shamelessly onto the bed. Within seconds, he was upon her, fingers tickling every inch of her body.

Sakura instantly broke out into laughter, spluttering out broken sentences as she tried to escape Kakashi. "Cut it…. ou-… out, you old geezer."

"OLD GEEZER!?" Kakashi's tickling took on a whole new force, seeking out all of Sakura's most ticklish spots.

"Oh! Oh… STOP! It hurts." Sakura yelped as his tickling started to make it difficult for her to breathe.

Kakashi was relentless. He just kept tickling, all the while saying, "If you tell me that I'm not a geezer and that I'm the most attractive man in the world!"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh harder at this. "NO WAY!"

Taking that as permission to step up his game, Kakashi held Sakura down using one arm while his other released one foot of its boot. Once said foot became freed, Kakashi focused his attentions on it.

"Noooo! Okay! Okay. You're the most- haha attractive man in the world and you will never get old!" Sakura gasped out the words waiting for the tickle attack to end and when it did, she took a huge breath of air and said, "You're cheap."

Kakashi's response was a simple, "Payback's a bitch." And then he smiled his crinkly-eyed smile at her and stood up.

Sakura sat up on the bed and removed her other boot. She then pulled her knees up to her chest and turned to Kakashi. "Kakashi." She said in what sounded like a serious tone.

"Hmm." he responded.

"Come sit."

He complied and came to sit next to her where he awaited to hear whatever was on her mind. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked while fussing over her long braid of pink hair.

"Of course."

"Do you ever think the Ninja World will be happy again? Calm even? I feel like the days just stream along with people dying all around us and the happy days are so few and far between. The tickle fights, the lunches at Ichiraku, and the happy couples out there. They all seem to be disappearing. It makes me sad." She whispered without noticing while staring off into the distance.

"Hmm. I'm not quite sure when it'll happen, but I know that as long as everyone keeps trying, one person at a time, the happiness will return. Why do you ask?" Kakashi was a bit puzzled by the sudden downturn in her mood, but speculated that the tickle fight has resurrected some old feelings.

Sakura waited a minute before answering him, "I don't know. I just remember all the days I was obsessed with love and happiness and now, I can barely recall thinking about it more than once or twice since all of this chaos happened. It's just that, I think I still want to find love…" She faltered, unsure of herself. She even looked away with a tinge of pink on her cheeks.

Kakashi didn't really know to say to her. His feelings for his once-upon-a-time student had changed drastically in two and a half years. He felt alive with her around. He felt not so alone. What once was love for a student and teammate seemed to be slowly manifesting itself into something else.

Did he love her? Yeah. But was he in love with her? He didn't know.

Sure, he had started to take notice to her as a woman. He spent mornings watching her train, simply because it pleased him. He desperately wanted to spend every moment he could with her to ease his loneliness, but was he in love?

Kakashi found himself staring at her face in that moment as she looked away. _God, she's beautiful._ He thought. He remembered the way she'd laughed on the way through the village- the blush on her cheeks caused by restriction of air. She was so much more than beautiful… but was he in love with her?

"Kakashi, are you alright?" Sakura said, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her hand reached out to touch his cheek and she ran her thumb over his cheekbone. "Are you feeling alright? You're a little clammy?"

Kakashi smiled. "I'm fine." He said as he reached up to grab her hand. He turned it over in his hands a couple times, memorizing it- taking note of every freckle and every fine scar.

Sakura stared at him for a couple seconds and then settled in, moving closer to him so she could lean against his side as he caressed her hand. It was a comforting feeling- making up for her moment of feeling down.

Kakashi sighed in contentment when her weight settled against his side.

"_It's just that, I think I still want to find love…"_

_Well, I think she already found it. _Kakashi thought as he realized he was absolutely, whole-heartedly in love with her.

_You already found it._

Kakashi looked down and noticed that within minutes of resting against him, Sakura had already fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful and Kakashi just watched her sleep, unable to make himself move. He didn't want to disturb her.

* * *

Again, Kakashi found that he didn't want to disturb her as he looked down at his chest where Sakura lay unconscious wearing his shirt. If it weren't for their current predicament, he'd consider the view quite beautiful. A view he wouldn't have minded waking up to at home in his bed.

_Home…_

How long had they been away? Was it getting close to their expected return? Had it been months? Had it been days? Hell, if he knew.

All he knew was that, if two months had passed, they would be expecting rescue quite soon. If two months had yet to pass, they would have to gut it out for however long it was till then.

At least there was a possibility of rescue. That was enough to keep Kakashi's hopes up. If only a little.

Pulled from his thoughts, Kakashi cringed at the noise he had learned to dread after the first couple of encounters. The sound of footsteps. The noise almost made him gag, knowing what was to come.

What was worse? It was almost like he didn't know. It could change at any time.

Kakashi sighed and went about gently waking Sakura, "Sakura, they're coming…" He shook her a little, trying to jostle her awake.

Slowly, green eyes met his and understanding flashed through them. As well as that, there was certain dread. It broke his heart to see her so beat down- so distraught. He'd do anything to make it go away… but, he just couldn't.

The footsteps grew closer and Kakashi prepared himself for the worst.

Lan came down the stairs first, followed shortly after by his lackey, King. Lan had an obnoxious, shit-eating grin on his face and Kakashi was scared to know why.

"So, how do you like your new arrangements?" The sadistic man chuckled as his eyes ran over Sakura. "Managed to flip it around, I see." His laugh filled the dungeon as he walked over to them.

"Should I even bother asking?" He said, looking down at the two of them. "Does anyone feel like talking today?"

It was Kakashi's turn to laugh. "Never." he whispered.

Lan laughed some more and then spoke one again, "Well, fair enough. King, sit them up."

Lan's lackey marched over and manhandled them into an upright position.

Within seconds, they were under… everything turned to black.

* * *

_Kakashi's eyes snapped open. The grey haze was there, but where was Sakura?_

_He searched wildly unable to find her. "Where is she?"_

_The haze made it difficult for him to find her, but eventually he found the faintest pink along the horizon. "Sakura!"_

_He ran to her. Or so he thought. Every time he felt he was close to her, it seemed she just drew further away. _

_From where he was standing, it appeared as though she was walking away from him. "Sakura… wait!" He yelped in the direction she seemed to be walking in. 'Please'_

_She didn't seem to stop or even notice he was there at all. "Sakura! Wait!" It didn't matter how much he yelled after her. She was just out of his grasp. _

_Why wouldn't she stop? Why wouldn't she stay? Didn't she need him anymore?_

_Kakashi head grew fuzzy and blackness took over again…_

* * *

_When he awoke, the scenery had completely changed. There were hundreds of people dressed in black standing around a grave site. Kakashi didn't know who the grave belonged to. Why was he here?_

_Suddenly, an unfamiliar head popped up, screaming, "WHY!? Sakura…"_

'_No.' _

_Kakashi ran again. This time towards the center of the crowd. When he reached his destination, he was met with sad, resentful eyes. _

_All of those around him stared down their noses as he stopped in front of the grave- in front of her grave._

_In unison, they all said, "You didn't protect her."_

_In unison, they all said, "You let her die."_

_In unison, they all said, "How could you be so foolish?"_

_In unison, they all said, "Worse than your father."_

_Kakashi's eyes widened. 'Why? How? What happened?'_

_Another unfamiliar face stared down at him and screamed, "Why didn't you chase her? You let her go. Look what you've done."_

_Kakashi's eyes filled with tears and he shook his head in anguish. 'No, this couldn't be. I'd never let her go. I'd chase her forever.'_

_The scenery shifted again and he was inside his apartment. Sakura was there and he felt better instantly, but then he looked at her face. Something was dreadfully wrong._

"_You love me?" She asked, a bewildered look on her face._

"_Yes, I love you…" He responded. _

_Her eyes widened and her face contorted with disgust. "You disgust me. How could I ever love you? You're fourteen years older than me. How disgusting." She said as she glared at him._

"_Don't ever come near me again, you sick fuck! I'll never love you!" She seethed as she headed for the door. She ran away…_

_She just ran away and Kakashi let her go._

* * *

Kakashi awoke suddenly, tears streaming down his face. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and then he fell into unconsciousness…


End file.
